The Department of Energy (DOE) and its United States counterpart have met to explore an expanded bilateral cooperation agreement designed to strengthen the country’s long-term energy security, diversify its fuel supply, and accelerate the development of domestic resources.
The high-level meeting took place in Washington, D.C., led by Philippine Energy Secretary Sharon Garin and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The talks focused on strategic cooperation across multiple energy sectors, including liquefied natural gas, coal, geothermal, nuclear power, strategic petroleum reserves, and natural hydrogen exploration.
A central policy highlight of the discussions was enhancing national fuel security through potential collaboration on strategic petroleum reserves. Under this initiative, the Philippines aims to leverage American expertise in emergency oil stockpiling and supply disruption preparedness to better cushion the domestic economy against global energy market shocks.
The dialogue also advanced key frameworks for civil nuclear energy development following the implementation of the 2023 Philippines-U.S. 123 Agreement. Both nations discussed technical and institutional capacity-building initiatives under the U.S. State Department’s Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology program. Additionally, plans were highlighted for a U.S. Trade and Development Agency reverse trade mission to connect Filipino policymakers and industry leaders with American technology providers, financiers, and regulatory experts.
On domestic energy generation, the officials explored joint opportunities in geothermal energy and natural hydrogen, including native hydrogen exploration activities by U.S.-based firm Koloma in the Philippines. The Department of Energy reaffirmed that pursuing international partnerships remains a key policy pillar to build national resilience against supply shocks while providing reliable and affordable power to Filipino households and businesses.
