Philippine power supply for Q2 2026 remains sufficient, but thin reserves leave grid at risk amid demand surge and plant outages
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities PRESS RELEASE QUEZON CITY, 25 March 2026 — The Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids are projected to have sufficient power supply from April to June 2026 but reserve margins remain thin, according to the latest report of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC). That said, power supply margins remain highly vulnerable to changes in demand, delays in project completion, unplanned outages of major power plants, and constraints in the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines. In the latest “Philippine Power Outlook: Reviewing the Adequacy of Power Supply for April to June 2026” [...]
Qatar LNG disruption exposes risks of fossil fuel reliance to PHL energy security
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities PRESS RELEASE QUEZON CITY, 20 March 2026 — Rising tensions in the Middle East have caused extensive damage and have disrupted operations of Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facility, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) export hub. For the Philippines, this can potentially result in higher electricity prices and supply issues both in the short and long term, highlighting the country's heavy reliance on imported fuel. LNG is traded in a highly interconnected global market where prices respond to geopolitical shocks, supply chain disruptions, seasonal demand swings, and policy [...]
Women Who Empower More Than Homes
Women Who Empower More Than Homes By Sanafe Marcelo In the small island community of Sulu-an in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, there is only eight hours of electricity that the island can use each day. The lights go out once the clock strikes midnight, and the community must wait until four in the afternoon to use them again. The lack of access to electricity affects many aspects of their daily lives, from household routines, livelihood, to education and healthcare. Yet during our visit, what stood out to me was not the limitation, but the women [...]
Offshore wind could transform Philippines’ energy security – ICSC [PowerPhilippines.com]
by Power Philippines News | March 13, 2026| Published by Power Philippines| READ THE STORY HERE The Philippines could significantly strengthen its energy security—and potentially become a regional power exporter—by developing its vast offshore wind resources, an energy expert said during a regional media briefing on how geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are exposing Asia's vulnerability to imported fossil fuels. Gaspar Escobar Jr., grid modernization advisor at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), said harnessing indigenous renewable energy resources, including offshore wind, would reduce the country's dependence on imported fuels. The media briefing [...]
Don’t waste this oil shock [Inquirer.net]
by Pete Maniego | March 13, 2026| Published by Philippine Daily Inquirer | READ THE STORY HERE Somewhere in Tondo, a jeepney driver is doing the math at the gasoline pump. Fuel is up again— because the Middle East is restless again. He's calculating whether today's passengers cover a full tank, or whether his family eats a little less this week. Elsewhere, an overseas Filipino worker's (OFW's) family is doing a similar calculation: will the conflict that's pushing oil prices up also disrupt the remittance they depend on? When the region destabilizes, the Philippines doesn't just lose [...]