Dominant electricity distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is hopeful that the push for nuclear energy will gain momentum with Sharon Garin now serving as Officer-in-Charge at the Department of Energy (DoE).

“Hopefully, (nuclear power development gains traction) because she’s on top of the nuclear agenda, right? Though we have not discussed it yet, I think it will be at the top of her agenda,” Meralco executive vice president and chief operating officer Ronnie L. Aperocho said when asked about the recent changes at the DoE.

Aperocho emphasized the urgency of passing key legislative and regulatory measures to meet the government’s goal of integrating nuclear energy into the national energy mix by 2032, which he noted is “only a few years away.”

Bill up for refiling

He said the proposed Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) bill is no longer expected to pass in the current Congress, and attention should now shift to the upcoming legislative session. He noted the measure will likely be refiled in the House of Representatives, though it remains uncertain how lawmakers plan to move forward.

Last year, the DoE formed a Nuclear Energy Division to spearhead the country’s energy development, in line with Executive Order 116 issued on 24 July 2022, Executive Order 164 issued on 28 February 2022, and House Resolution 134 issued on 8 August.

The division operates under the Energy Utilization Management Bureau, led by Director Patrick Aquino, who reports directly to Garin.