Budget for RE Development Program Hiked to P155 Million

The Marcos administration has ramped up funding for the country's renewable energy (RE) development program this year, fueling the ambitious push toward cleaner, more sustainable power.

- By Brix Lelis

The 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) has allocated P155.7 million to bolster the Department of Energy (DOE)'s RE policies, marking an 8.4 percent increase from the P143.65 million earmarked in 2024.

The GAA mandates the DOE to strengthen the development, utilization and commercialization of RE resources through the launch of the RE market and the establishment of the green energy option program (GEOP).

The RE market is the venue for the trading of RE certificates equivalent to an amount of power generated from RE facilities, while GEOP gives electricity end-users the freedom to choose RE resources as their energy source.

Similarly, the DOE is also responsible for encouraging the adoption of waste-to-energy facilities, which convert waste into heat, steam, mechanical power or electricity.

These initiatives are in accordance with Republic Act 9513 or the RE Act of 2008, which provides the legal and institutional framework for advancing the country's RE policies.