Meralco: Nuke talks need policy first

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is urging the government to establish a clear policy framework for nuclear energy as private sector efforts will stall without a regulatory roadmap.

“My view is I really would like the government first to develop the policies and the program,” Meralco PowerGen Corp. President and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio said in an interview with reporters.

“Because regardless of how much we talk about nuclear, unless the government does the framework, the rules, the guidelines, the timetable, they have to be in that discussion,” he added.

Rubio said that while private companies like Meralco are taking steps to explore nuclear energy, long-term progress depends on government action. 

“That has always been the driver,” he said, referring to the need for policy clarity.

Meralco, one of the most active private firms pushing for nuclear development, is preparing to send a high-level delegation to South Korea in July to explore potential partnerships in energy generation and distribution—including nuclear power.

“We will talk to the Korean players, not only on the distribution side of the business but even in generation including nuclear,” Meralco Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho said in a separate interview.

The visit will include a nuclear study tour, discussions with Korea Electric Power Corp. on distribution modernization under a recently signed memorandum of understanding, and site visits to battery and energy storage manufacturing facilities. 

Aperocho said Meralco also plans to sign an agreement with KINGS University in Korea to send scholars under its FISSION program.

Meralco has also begun developing a nuclear workforce and previously signed an agreement with French energy firm Électricité de France to conduct a technical feasibility study for a potential nuclear site. The company is particularly eyeing small modular reactors for their compact size and faster deployment.

Under the Philippine Energy Plan, the government aims to introduce 1,200 megawatts (MW) of nuclear capacity by 2032, expand to 2,600 MW by 2035, and reach 4,800 MW by 2050.