SONA 2026: ICSC welcomes renewable energy push, calls for evidence-based energy decisions and stronger consumer protection
Following the release of their institutional statement, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) delves deeper in the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA). The organization welcomes President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recognition of the role of renewable energy and energy storage systems in strengthening the country’s energy security. The addition of new renewable energy facilities and storage capacity reflects progress in harnessing the Philippines’ indigenous energy resources and reducing reliance on imported fuels. As the country expands these investments, it is important to ensure that energy policies and investments deliver the benefits of an affordable, reliable, and [...]
SONA 2026: Sariling Kuryente must mean affordable rooftop solar for every filipino [Sayang Ang Araw]
Official Statement of the Sayang ang Araw, Gawing Mura ang Solar Campaign on the 2026 State of the Nation Address delivered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. With electricity prices continuing to burden Filipino consumers, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for the passage of the proposed Sariling Kuryente Act is an affirmation of the sentiments expressed by more than majority of Filipinos that scaling rooftop solar is a practical, affordable, and resilient energy solution. Making rooftop solar more accessible to Filipino households is an important step toward giving consumers greater control over their electricity costs. However, legislation alone will not [...]
ICSC: Recurring grid alerts highlight urgent need for decentralized energy in the country
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities PRESS RELEASE QUEZON CITY, May 20, 2026 –– The red and yellow alerts raised over the Luzon and Visayas grids over the past week highlight how outages from several large centralized coal plants can quickly strain the Philippine power system and result in power outages across interconnected grids, according to the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC). No baseload power plant should be on outage from April to June, based on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) Grid Operating and Maintenance Plan (GOMP). However, ICSC noted that these power plants [...]
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 [...]
[Klima Reports] Solar power fuels Surigao island’s rise from Odette
On December 2021, Super Typhoon Odette, internationally known as Rai, devastated the provinces of Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands. A year later, Klima Fellows from Philippine Daily Inquirer Erwin Mascariñas and Ivy Marie Mangadlao visited one of the affected villages and documented how solar energy helped the community back on its feet.