Senator Win Gatchalian emphasized the necessity of developing microgrids to achieve full electrification in unserved and underserved areas across the Philippines, including Palawan.
This comes after the Department of Energy (DOE) recently concluded the first round of the competitive selection process (CSP), awarding the development of microgrid systems in eight unserved areas in Cebu, Quezon, and Palawan to the Maharlika Consortium.
“The DOE must persist in its efforts to advocate for the implementation of microgrids in areas that lack access to reliable power and are underserved,” Gatchalian asserted.
The move aims to provide 24/7 electricity services to the three areas, with plans for a second round of bidding within the year. Microgrids are deemed crucial infrastructure for rural electrification, as stated by Senator Gatchalian, who authored the Microgrid Systems Act of 2022.
He stressed the urgency for the DOE to expedite microgrid development to facilitate the electrification process in remote communities.
Gatchalian said approximately 27.6% of households in missionary areas remain without electricity, based on a 2020 survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
In Luzon, about 211,743 households lack electricity, constituting 44% of the total unserved households nationwide. Meanwhile, in Mindanao, around 256,106 households are unserved, accounting for 53.5%, and in the Visayas, approximately 11,180 households lack access to electricity, representing 2.33% of the total unserved households in the country.
The senator also pointed out the synergy between microgrid development and the advancement of renewable energy (RE) in the Philippines, where microgrids can readily integrate RE sources like solar, wind, and ocean power, aligning with the country’s renewable energy goals.
