Energy & Mining

First Gen Group has completed and officially switched on a rooftop solar installation at NKC Manufacturing Philippines Corporation—Cebu-based subsidiary of Japan’s NKC Group—just four months after signing the deal, in a bid to secure reliable power amid Visayas supply challenges.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has released the guidelines extending the suspension of power service disconnections through the end of December 2026 for qualified low-income residential consumers, balancing immediate household relief with strict settlement conditions for distribution utilities.

Electricity prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market climbed 3.1 percent in September, according to the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines. The Independent Electricity Market Operators of the Philippines or IEMOP reported Tuesday that the national average hit P7.43 per kilowatt-hour as of September 25, up from August’s P7.21 per kWh. It said the rates will be used to calculate spot-market electricity costs billed this October.

Semirara Mining and Power Corporation (SMPC) has criticized the Department of Energy (DOE) over auction rules governing the Semirara coal mine, claiming that procedural flaws and onerous conditions effectively prevent the long-time operator from participating in the bidding process.

Following back-to-back price cuts in previous months, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) on Monday announced an electricity rate increase of ₱0.3191 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for October. The adjustment pushes the overall rate for a typical household to ₱15.0615 per kWh, up from ₱14.7424 per kWh in September.