Going energy local

The tide is rising on all fronts in the democratization of energy. In the global stage, among states, the ongoing disruption in the global supply of petroleum products has re-ignited talks about energy sovereignty. Countries are urgently pursuing diversification of energy sources and, more importantly, accelerating the exploration and use of indigenous resources, particularly renewable energy (RE). At the level of the consumer in the Philip-pines, energy democracy is also gaining ground as more end-users are discovering and engaging in the various consumer choice programs that allow them to contract directly with suppliers and negotiate rates for generation and supply of power to their homes and offices. Cost-competitive RE technologies, such as solar PVs, empower consumers to produce their own power leading to the emergence of the category of “prosumers” — producers/consumers of electricity.

Over the last few years, however, there has also been momentum building between the levels of states and end-users. Quietly yet firmly, local governments, together with electric cooperatives (ECs), are now taking a more active role in shaping the energy destiny of their provinces and municipalities.

Founded on the principles of local autonomy under the Constitution and Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, fueled by decades of frustration over persistent energy poverty or unaffordable power rates in their communities, various local government units (LGUs) are now drawing up local energy plans that are intended to address the specific needs in their areas and fuel the developmental aspirations of their respective regions. The plans are not just technical and economic checklists; these are roadmaps that form practically an energy liberation agenda.

EVOLVING ROLE OF ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES
Last week, I was fortunate to join the 2026 EC Summit co-organized by the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and Climate Smart Ventures (CSV). I was invited to moderate the panel on Day 1 of the two-day event on the topic “From State Assistance to Self-Reliance: Leveraging Innovative Finance for a More Resilient EC While Upholding the Non-Stock Non-Profit Spirit of Rural Electrification.” Despite the rather intimidating title for the panel, the discussions were quite down-to-earth, realistic, and encouraging, with panelists from CSV, the Department of Energy (DoE) and the Romblon Electric Cooperative (Romelco). Among our off-grid areas, the story of Romelco is quite unique and inspiring.

Rene Fajilagutan, the General Manager (GM) of Romelco, shared how the cooperative started their journey to energy security by directly investing in and developing their own RE plants. By introducing RE into their supply mix, the goal was primarily to reduce the reliance on expensive and imported diesel fuel, and to manage the risk of power interruptions caused by diesel delivery disruption.

Romelco today has wind, mini-hydro, solar hybrid, solar rooftops, and biogas facilities supplying 107 barangays in its franchise area. With the integration of RE, the cooperative is able to manage its costs and reduce the rates paid by their end-users as well as their need for subsidies under the Universal Charge-Missionary Electrification (UCME). It is also able to achieve full electrification of its franchise areas with the deployment of small-scale RE solutions to the last-mile barangays.

“While Romelco was able to manage the rates charged to consumers with RE adoption and hybridization, how did RE integration impact the reliability of your network?,” I asked Mr. Fajilagutan. His response, to my mind, should have made the headlines in the next day’s papers: “RE has made our system more reliable,” he said. He explained that the installation of small-scale RE and energy storage solutions where these were needed by the system allowed them to manage load and voltage dropping in certain areas. The use of multiple and strategically located generation facilities, instead of singular or few large-scale generators, likewise gave greater ability to the EC to contain or isolate outages, minimizing the risk of a system-wide blackout resulting from generator fault or issues.

The story of Romelco presents many valuable lessons on RE project development, financing, and EC governance, among others, but two stand out in the context of the ongoing energy crisis: 1.) ECs, particularly in the off-grid areas, can break out of their traditional role of network operation and successfully address the unique energy requirements, including steady and affordable power supply, of their localities, within the limits of law and regulation, and, 2.) the deploy-ment of RE facilities, when strategically sited for operations and appropriately structured for financing, can be a viable solution for network reliability issues and the challenge of total electrification.

FROM BUTUAN TO GUIUAN, ILOILO TO MARAWI
After the EC Summit last week, I joined the energy planning workshop in Tacloban organized for the Municipality of Guiuan by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC). Guiuan is a second-class municipality in Eastern Leyte, located in the southernmost tip of Leyte Island. The municipality occupies a special place in history as it includes the island of Homonhon where Ferdinand Magellan is said to have landed in 1521. Homonhon is one of the two off-grid islands that belong to Guiuan, both of which do not have a steady supply of electricity, the residents there enjoying only up to eight hours a day of power supply.

During the four-day workshop, what struck me was the level of engagement and preparedness exhibited by the LGU officials of Guiuan. There were no passive members of the audience — everyone paid attention to the learning ses-sions and asked insightful questions that showed their ability to connect the concepts with on-the-ground realities of their constituents. Tangible and workable outputs were produced by the working group activities, with metrics and timelines set out. For instance, there were exhaustive discussions on the adoption of a sustainable livelihood model for off-grid areas like Homonhon and Suluan that would involve the bundling of an electrification solution for the is-lands together with a catalytic livelihood project, such as an ice plant or cold storage facility which is crucial for the fishing communities. The vision for Guiuan was also clearly articulated: energy self-sufficiency, RE-literate, and RE-skilled Guiuananons; solar-powered households; dynamic tourism and industries; and, ultimately, Guiuan as a model RE-powered city.

Representatives from Butuan City were also present to share their own energy security journey. In August 2025, the city adopted the Butuan City Energy Development Plan (BEDP) for 2023-2050. Butuan City, along with the rest of the CARAGA Region, has enjoyed rapid economic growth over the last few years, with the region’s growth rate at around 7%. This growth in demand, as well as the desire to secure clean energy resources and mitigate the price vola-tility of imported fuel, compelled the LGU to craft its own energy development plan to meet its economic ambitions.

With the support of various organizations, including the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines, the International Climate Initiatives, and the University of the Philippines, the LGU was able to develop the long-term plan that serves as the basis for development of resources located locally, siting of projects, provision for local incentives, and modernization of government facilities and properties for energy efficiency and full fleet transition to electric mobility by 2050.

Earlier in March, I also witnessed this synergy of interests among LGUs in a workshop in Marawi City, organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), for the energy planning of the province of Lanao del Sur.

The power situation in the province has always been problematic and complex, characterized by unreliable power supply and the EC (Lanao Del Sur Electric Cooperative or LASURECO) burdened by billions of pesos in debt and governance issues. The LGU currently has taken a firm stance to find a permanent and long-term solution to these persistent problems. In the workshop, representatives from the province of Iloilo shared their journey that led to the adoption by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Iloilo Provincial Ordinance for Renewable Energy (I-PORE). The ordinance is the first in the country that allocates a portion (1/2 of 1%) of the annual provincial budget for RE projects.

Immediately following the workshop, on March 24, the Provincial Governor of Lanao Del Sur issued Executive Order No. 009 creating the Provincial Renewable Energy (RE)/Energy Efficiency (EE) Program Management Coun-cil (PMC) to “function as the primary coordinating, planning and oversight body for all renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives of the Provincial Government.” The PMC is also tasked to develop the Provincial Re-newable and Energy Efficiency Development Plan. The Executive Order also mandated the adoption of EE measures in all government buildings and procurement of appliances and equipment.

LOCALIZATION OF ENERGY
While the support of local governments in energy projects has always been recognized by the National Government, that role is evolving today to a more central and leading actor in shaping the energy landscape. Technology has been enabling more small-scale, tailor-fit solutions that allow for the adoption of decentralization and localization of energy projects. The active engagement of LGUs in the adoption of local energy plans, particularly those that involve local incentives and out-of-the-box solutions for distinct issues of their communities, inspires hope that solutions can be incubated and deployed at the grassroots level.

There is no doubt that local energy planning exercise increases the chances of achieving energy security from the ground up. Fundamentally, it also strengthens democracy as citizens become more active and discerning par-ticipants in decision-making with a long-term perspective.

Monalisa C. Dimalanta is a senior partner at Puyat Jacinto & Santos Law (PJS Law). She was the chairperson and CEO of the Energy Regulatory Commission from 2022 to 2025, and chairperson of the National Renewable Energy Board from 2019 to 2021.