Groups demand license revocation of coal plants

CEBU, Philippines — Climate advocates and electricity consumers staged simultaneous protests in Cebu and Metro Manila, demanding that the Department of Energy (DOE) revoke the licenses of coal-fired power plants accused of repeated violations and inefficiencies that have burdened households with soaring electricity bills and recurring outages.

In Cebu, demonstrators led by the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), SANLAKAS, and allied organizations marched from Fuente Osmeña to the DOE Visayas Field Office, submitting a letter calling for stronger accountability against erring generation companies.

“When Units 1 and 2 of Therma Visayas Inc. went into forced outage last May, hundreds of megawatts were suddenly removed from the Visayas grid. This immediately triggered a red alert status the following day, forcing rotational blackouts across Cebu,” said Lito Vasquez, PMCJ Visayas energy policy advisor.

Vasquez stressed that the cost of outages continues to be unfairly passed on to households. He explained that Visayan Electric had to turn to the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, where spot purchases accounted for 74.33 percent of its supply in June 2026 at a cost of ?11.2822 per kilowatt-hour.

“This heavy reliance on the volatile spot market directly pushed electricity rates higher. As long as generation companies are not held accountable for inefficiencies, consumers will keep paying significantly more even if their consumption stays the same,” he added.

Just a day after the protest actions, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Visayas Grid under yellow alert, citing limited operating reserves during the evening peak hours.

NGCP cited the unavailability of TVI's coal units and seven other plants on forced outage, alongside 17 facilities running at derated capacities, resulting in 795.1 MW of unavailable capacity.

While a Yellow Alert does not automatically lead to power interruptions, the NGCP urged consumers to conserve energy to help stabilize supply. PMCJ National Coordinator Ian Rivera, speaking from Manila, criticized the DOE for failing to act decisively.

“Delays in enforcement illustrate that the government prioritizes the interests of power oligarchs it seems to protect and rejects the people’s clamor,” he said.

Rivera warned that unless the DOE acts on the people's demands, it will face not only public scrutiny but also potential legal challenges.

“The real state of the energy industry is plagued with fossil fuel addicts and oligarchs that burden the Filipino people. This special treatment should end. Now more than ever, the government must heed the call for a planned and managed phaseout of coal,” Rivera added.

Coal remains the dominant source of electricity in the Philippines, supplying about 57 to 60 percent of the power mix, according to DOE and LowCarbonPower.org data.

In 2020, the DOE imposed a moratorium on new coal plants, allowing only projects approved before the ban to proceed. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has reiterated that there is “no compelling need” to lift the moratorium, emphasizing renewable energy expansion instead.

Recent developments include Meralco PowerGen's energization of the Toledo Battery Energy Storage System (25 MW, 56 MWh) in May 2026 and SPC Power's P3 billion investment in solar and battery projects. (CEBU NEWS)