The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is calling for public comments on its proposed reserve prices for the upcoming fourth round of the Green Energy Auction (GEA-4), a key initiative to support the Philippines’ transition to cleaner energy.
In a notice posted on its website Monday night, the ERC released draft reserve prices for various renewable energy (RE) technologies, including ₱4.7679 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for rooftop solar, ₱4.1480/kWh for ground-mounted solar, ₱5.9515/kWh for floating solar, ₱6.5134/kWh for onshore wind, and ₱5.2835/kWh for solar projects paired with battery energy storage systems (BESS).
These reserve prices serve as ceilings in the competitive bidding process, where qualified renewable energy developers can offer lower or equal rates in exchange for 20-year supply contracts. The ERC is accepting comments until 5 p.m. on 21 April 2025, with public consultations scheduled for Luzon on April 24 and for Visayas and Mindanao stakeholders online on 25 April.
“All comments received…shall form part of the records of this rule-making proceeding and shall be considered in the finalization of the draft Green Energy Auction Reserves,” the ERC said in its announcement.
Theresa Cruz-Capellan, chair of the Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance, welcomed the ERC’s move as a “clear signal” of the government’s commitment to expanding RE capacity. However, she raised concerns over methodological changes in setting the reserve prices compared to previous GEA rounds, saying consistency is vital for investor confidence.
The Department of Energy (DOE) earlier projected that GEA-4 could yield up to 10,478 megawatts (MW) of RE capacity, including 1,100 MW from solar projects with BESS — a first in the GEA program. These projects are expected to become operational between 2026 and 2029.
The government aims to increase the RE share in the power generation mix to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2050. As of end-2024, renewable energy accounted for 31.4 percent of the country’s installed capacity, or about 9,581 MW, according to DOE data.
