With the country's first nuclear plant, which unfortunately was mothballed before it could produce a kilowatt of electricity, an American technology would likely be deployed for the Philippines' power generation leap.

The nuclear push is bearing fruit, bringing the country closer to the energy fix that promises a cheap and abundant electricity supply.

A significant development in the country's bid to enter the nuclear age was the signing of the Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, or the 123 Agreement, in San Francisco, California on 16 November.

The signing of the pact set into motion the process of obtaining US congressional approval for American companies to deal with the Philippines primarily in equipment supply.

The agreement covers power generation and facilitates cooperation on the peaceful uses of atomic energy, such as plant breeding, livestock production, insect pest control, soil and crop management, water use efficiency, plastic waste disposal, food safety, health, and medicine.

The deal will provide the legal framework for nuclear power projects with US companies based on the standards and safeguards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The deal will allow the transfer of information, nuclear material, equipment, and components between the Philippines and the US, which will lead to the streamlining of the licensing requirements in both nations.

The main gridlock to using nuclear power is the licensing process because of the sensitive character of the energy's fuel, which can be manipulated into a weapon of mass destruction.

It took almost a year, from the visit of US Vice President Kamala Harris in November last year when she unbundled the US nuclear option to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to get to this point.

Local companies are now jockeying for a slice of the clean energy source that has the potential to replace the coal-fired power plants that produce most of the country's electricity.