The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairperson and CEO Atty. Francis Saturnino Juan affirmed the ERC’s commitment to accelerating hydropower development, saying that it is essential to protect the public interest and lower electricity costs for Filipino consumers.
Speaking at the 3rd Philippine Hydro Summit and Exhibition 2025 focused on the theme “Accelerating Hydropower Development: Powering the Philippines’ 35/50 Renewable Energy Target,” Juan shared key regulatory insights on promoting sustainable and affordable renewable power supply.
The summit gathered key players in the hydropower sector in charting a unified path forward in accelerating hydropower development nationwide.
The ERC chief said that the Commission aims to act as a catalyst for hydropower, streamlining approvals, clarifying rules, and adopting adaptive pricing to support investment and the country’s renewable energy goals.
“Our role is not to be a gatekeeper but a catalyst,” the ERC head said.
“Our mandate is to protect the highest public interest today—a sustainable, secure, and reasonably priced energy future.”
“Our mandate is to protect the highest public interest today—a sustainable, secure, and reasonably priced energy future,” he added.
In his speech, Juan underscored three key strategies for promoting efficient and integrated hydropower projects: ensuring regulatory certainty and predictability, adopting innovative and adaptive pricing mechanisms, and promoting competition to ensure customer choice.
“The Commission is implementing transparent, streamlined processes and issuing clear regulations for various hydropower technologies—from large-scale storage to small run-of-river and pumped-storage projects,” he explained.
Juan added that the ERC is developing a pricing mechanism that reflects the added value hydropower provides, ensuring developers are adequately compensated for the stability their projects bring to the grid.
“We will continue to refine incentive structures to make them more responsive to market conditions and project specifics.”
“We will continue to refine incentive structures, including the setting of the Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) and Green Energy Auction Reserve (GEAR) Price, to make them more responsive to market conditions and project specifics,” he said.
The ERC pledged full support for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP), which remains the primary vehicle for hydropower growth, emphasizing that the ERC’s ultimate goal is to bring down the energy cost for the Filipino consumers.
Juan stressed that the ERC’s mandate to protect the public extends to the communities and the environment, saying all projects will continue to require rigorous public consultations and adherence to the highest environmental standards.
“We are committed to building a regulatory environment that is dynamic and responsive, channeling the country’s hydropower potential to power homes, fuel industries, and secure a cleaner, more competitive energy future for the Philippines,” he concluded.
