Revised outage limits raise concerns on power system reliability in Visayas and Mindanao
QUEZON CITY, 10 September 2026 — Filipino consumers are facing mounting pressure for a more dependable power system as recurring grid alerts expose vulnerabilities in the country’s electricity supply, with the Visayas alone recording 123 yellow and red alerts since January—underscoring the need for policy and system-level measures to strengthen the power system and ensure consumers have access to affordable and secure electricity. Following the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)’s recent revision of reliability standards and allowable equivalent unplanned outage days for generating units, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) is raising concerns that higher outage allowances could [...]
ICSC: Consumers should not pay for preventable electricity losses
QUEZON CITY, 24 August 2026 –– Consumers should not be made to pay for system losses that electric distribution utilities can prevent. The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), in a recent position paper, is calling for reforms that distinguish unavoidable technical losses from preventable losses caused by electricity theft, illegal connections, meter tampering, billing errors, and other operational failures. The call comes amid renewed public debate over system loss charges following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2026 State of the Nation Address, with consumers questioning why they continue to bear charges for electricity they did not consume. While [...]
Northern Samar LGU pledges to build a more resilient, affordable, and sustainable energy system through renewables
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities PRESS RELEASE QUEZON CITY, 05 May 2026 – The Provincial Government of Northern Samar declared their commitment and determination to advance a cleaner and more sustainable energy future for the province during the Renewable Energy (RE) Roadmap Scoping Workshop with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), held from April 27-30, 2026. The recent workshop is part of a series of engagements organized by ICSC following the Memorandum of Agreement with Eastern Visayas local chief executives, which aim to institutionalize participatory local energy planning, craft local RE ordinances, and mobilize innovative financing [...]
ICSC pilots renewable energy roadmap scoping workshop with Guiuan LGU to advance local energy transition
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities PRESS RELEASE PALO, LEYTE, 20 April 2026 – Building on its earlier work in local energy planning, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) pilots a Renewable Energy (RE) Plan and Roadmap scoping workshop with the Municipality of Guiuan from April 14 to 17, as one of the initial activities under its recently signed Memorandum of Agreement with Eastern Visayas local chief executives. Under this partnership, participating LGUs aim to institutionalize participatory local energy planning and roadmapping, craft local RE ordinances, and mobilize innovative financing for rooftop solar, island microgrids, and community-led [...]
ICSC: RE is variable and not intermittent, best fits the country’s energy needs
QUEZON CITY, May 15, 2023 – The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) announced in a virtual briefing yesterday that renewable energy (RE) projects will become operational soon in the Philippine grid, but their harmonization with the existing plan of the transmission system needs to be considered. “The influx of a lot of variable technologies will need a lot of upgrades from the grid and these should be considered in terms of whether the quickest and easiest solution is from the grid’s perspective or perhaps looking at technologies coming in and ensuring these harmonizes with the existing development plan [...]