The Philippines is in talks with Malaysia for a possible interconnection of their power grids, which could mark the country’s first link to a regional electricity network, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said on Monday.
At the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW), Garin said the government plans to connect the Philippine grid with Malaysia as part of efforts to strengthen regional energy cooperation under the ASEAN framework.
“This will take technical, financial, legal, and policy groundwork, but the building blocks are already being laid,” Garin said, noting that regional integration requires not only infrastructure but also sound policy and financing systems to reduce risks and lower power costs.
The Department of Energy (DOE) said such an interconnection would complement the country’s growing renewable energy sector. The Philippines is currently the world’s second most attractive market for renewable energy, with over 21,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity awarded under the Green Energy Auction Program and 91 offshore wind contracts totaling 69,000 MW.
Garin also met with Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology Tan See Leng to discuss a planned implementation agreement on transition credits, targeted for signing by February 2026. Transition credits are financial instruments that support the early retirement of coal-fired power plants and the shift to cleaner energy sources.
The meeting also covered nuclear energy safety, emergency response, and research on natural hydrogen. Garin said the Philippines updated Singapore officials on the country’s carbon credit policy framework, aimed at improving transparency and credibility in carbon market operations.
Carbon credits represent verified reductions of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or equivalent greenhouse gases and can be traded or purchased by companies to offset emissions.
