Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has announced plans to reconsider nuclear energy as part of efforts to address rising electricity costs in the country, which has some of the highest power prices in the region. Speaking during a nationally televised State of the Nation address to a joint session of Congress……
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has announced plans to reconsider nuclear energy as part of efforts to address rising electricity costs in the country, which has some of the highest power prices in the region.
Speaking during a nationally televised State of the Nation address to a joint session of Congress on Monday, Marcos said nuclear power could provide a long-term solution to the Philippines’ energy challenges.
“Perhaps it is time for us to revisit nuclear energy production,” Marcos said.
He assured citizens that any move towards nuclear power would prioritise safety and public awareness.
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“We will ensure it is safe. We will ensure the good benefits of nuclear energy will be explained properly to the public,” he added.
The announcement comes after Marcos declared a national energy emergency earlier this year, as the archipelago continues to grapple with energy security concerns and dependence on imported fuel.
In March, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the Philippines planned to increase output from coal-fired power plants to reduce electricity costs after disruptions to gas supplies caused by conflict in the Middle East.
The Philippines has long considered nuclear energy as a potential part of its energy mix. The country’s only nuclear facility, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, was completed in the 1980s but never became operational due to corruption allegations and concerns over safety.
Manila has since held exploratory discussions on nuclear cooperation with several countries, including Japan, France, Russia, and the United States.
Although Marcos did not provide specific details on a nuclear energy timeline in his address, the Philippines signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States in May 2024 aimed at developing local expertise in nuclear power.
The agreement sought to help the country build “the skilled workforce needed to build a clean energy infrastructure, including the ability to operate state-of-the-art nuclear power plants,” Daniel Kritenbrink, then US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said at the time.
AFP
