Brace for the Summer of ’26 [BusinessWorldOnline.com]
by Monalisa C. Dimalanta | March 13, 2026| Business World | READ THE STORY HERE From all indications, it looks like we are in for a summer to remember. The months of March to June (or even July) have always been precarious for the power sector in [...]
ICSC: Middle East tensions emphasize Philippine energy security must not depend on fossil fuels
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities PRESS RELEASE QUEZON CITY, March 10, 2026 — The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) emphasizes that energy security must not depend on fossil fuels, as rising tensions in the Middle East expose the Philippines’ vulnerability to global fuel price shocks. In a [...]
Eastern Visayas LGUs, ICSC ink partnerships to accelerate local energy transition
TACLOBAN CITY, 20 February 2026 – Local chief executives from across Eastern Visayas formalized their commitment to advance the energy transition in their localities, by developing Local Energy Plans and enacting Renewable Energy (RE) Ordinances that will enable access to cleaner, more affordable, and reliable power for communities in [...]
ICSC: Data center surge can accelerate PH renewable energy and industrial growth
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities PRESS RELEASE QUEZON CITY, 16 February 2026 – As data center demand surges in the Philippines, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) emphasizes that synergistic planning between energy and digital infrastructure sectors is crucial in its latest position paper. [...]
ICSC: Flexible Grids, Not Just Baseload, Are Key to Philippine Energy Reliability
QUEZON CITY, 10 February 2026 — As yellow and red alerts continue to affect the Philippine power grid, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) emphasizes that weather-dependent renewable energy is not the primary cause of grid instability. True reliability depends on the system’s flexibility and its ability [...]
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Renewable energy for the sake of energy security
January 30, 2026| Published by The Manila Times| READ THE STORY HERE 28 January 2026 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Renewable energy for the sake of energy security Dear Editor, This is in response to the column titled “The Reliability Double Standard” written by Mr. Ben Kritz, published on [...]
Power resilience is a critical need [Inquirer.net]
by Pete Maniego | January 29, 2026| Published by Philippine Daily Inquirer| READ THE STORY HERE Every Filipino knows what it feels like while waiting for help in the dark. When a strong typhoon hits, the rains and winds may only last a few hours, but the [...]
ICSC: Meralco-Sta. Rita contract risks continued exposure to rising LNG power costs
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities [ANALYSIS] ICSC: Meralco-Sta. Rita contract risks continued exposure to rising LNG power costs QUEZON CITY, 26 January 2026 –– As the one-time interim extension of the power supply agreement (PSA) between Meralco and First Gen Sta. Rita near its end, the Institute for [...]
ICSC: Visayas grid alert spotlights persistent issues in the Philippine power sector
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities [REACTIVE] ICSC: Visayas grid alert spotlights persistent issues in the Philippine power sector QUEZON CITY, 21 January 2026 –– In response to the yellow alert raised over the Visayas grid yesterday, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) highlights a persistent and [...]
Low-hanging fruit: Quick ways to generate clean, reliable power [Inquirer.net]
by Pete Maniego | December 29, 2025| Published by Philippine Daily Inquirer | READ THE STORY HERE MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines cannot seem to graduate from its long history of power outages. From the crippling brownouts of the 1990s to today’s recurring alerts of thin reserves, energy [...]
Rethinking the ASEAN power grid [Inquirer.net]
by Pete Maniego | December 18, 2025| Published by Philippine Daily Inquirer| READ THE STORY HERE The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Power Grid or APG promises a regionally interconnected electricity market by 2045—one that can strengthen energy security and accelerate decarbonization across Southeast Asia. But [...]
The smarter energy path for Filipinos [Inquirer.net]
by Pete Maniego | December 12, 2025| Published by Philippine Daily Inquirer | READ THE STORY HERE The renewed pitch for nuclear power is seductive: one massive facility promising enormous output, low operating emissions, and the prestige of innovative technology. But beneath this polished promise lies a [...]
Local governments to lead the renewable energy transition in the Philippines, ASEAN
DOWNLOAD PDF Local government units in the Philippines are leading their respective energy transition efforts by adopting renewable energy (RE) – this is the highlight of the second installment of the Philippine Energy Transition Dialogue 2025, held December 3-4, in Quezon City. With the theme “Localizing the Energy [...]
Approaching waste management sustainably through community-led climate action
by Jessa Margallo-Zosa Editor’s Note: Jessa currently serves as the RE-Charge Pilipinas Facility Coordinator at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, based in the organization’s regional office in Tacloban City, Leyte. I just returned to Tacloban City from my first international trip to Thai Nguyen, Vietnam where I [...]
The Road to Renewables: Turning Vision into Local Action
By Mel Matthew Doctor Note: Mel currently serves as the Senior Campaign Officer for Energy Policy at the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, and was acting project lead of the 2025 Road to Renewables: Conversations on Energy Transition Roadshow. During one of the focus group discussions in [...]
Sustainable energy is not a privilege, but a right for all
by Charisse Maxine Parchamento Editor’s Note: Cha is a Campaigns and Advocacy Officer of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, focused on energy policy. In my job interview for ICSC, I introduced myself with a precaution: I have limited knowledge and experience in the renewable energy [...]
Learning Drives us Forward on the Road to Renewables
by Miguel Joachim Balburias Editor’s Note: Mojie currently serves as a Data Analyst with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities’ Energy Policy team. You have nothing to prove, but everything to learn. This was something my college mentor used to tell me all the time. It [...]
Charged for Change
by Jedidiah Yabut Editor’s Note: Jed is currently a Data Analyst with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities. The Road to Renewables: Conversations on Energy Transition in Tacloban City was a four-day gathering focused on one big goal: localizing the Philippine energy transition. National policies are important, [...]
A brighter future awaits: the shared commitment for a just energy transition
by Allyssa Nerine Garcia EDITOR’S NOTE: Nerine is an Administrative Assistant of ICSC. She was part of the core team who led the preparations and execution of the Philippine Energy Transition Dialogue (Ph-ETD) 2025, held last September 3-4 at The Peninsula Manila. For more information about the Ph-ETD, which [...]
Quezon City and Iloilo City recognized at Southeast Asia Mobility Awards 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 29 September 2025— Quezon City and Iloilo City were recognized as among Southeast Asia’s Most Promising Bicycle-Friendly Cities at the Southeast Asia Mobility Awards (SEAMA) 2025, held on 19 September in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. SEAMA is a regional recognition platform that highlights local governments and citizens [...]