The government plans to cut red tape to speed up household electrification, especially in poor areas, by removing delays caused by fees and permits from local governments and power distributors.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said Wednesday the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Electrification Administration (NEA) are working with the Interior Department to lower or waive these fees for faster connections.

“The President mentioned electrification, particularly in remote areas where it's costly for electric cooperatives to expand. There are three approaches: first, microgrids; second, solar-powered homes; and third, continued expansion by electric cooperatives. The government is currently looking for investors for microgrid projects,” Garin said.

“It's not just about electrification in remote areas—many homes near existing power lines remain unconnected due to permitting issues. There are ongoing discussions on how to reduce or waive application fees,” she added.

As of December 2024, the electrification level stood at 94.75 percent, or 27.9 million households. Around 3.08 million still need electricity by 2028.

To reach off-grid areas, the DOE will launch a Competitive Selection Process for Microgrid System Providers, targeting 12,000 households in provinces such as Quezon, Camarines Norte, Palawan, Masbate, Samar, Negros Occidental, and Zamboanga del Sur.

For remote communities unreachable by power lines, the government will deploy Solar Home Systems.

NEA aims to energize 100,000 households by early 2026 and procure 54,000 more for 2026, with full subsidies for installation.

The DOE also urged distribution utilities to use the P1.5 billion Energy Regulations 1-94 Electrification Funds to connect more households.

Meanwhile, 295 last-mile schools will be powered by solar through DepEd’s P1.295 billion budget for 2025, enabling the use of digital learning tools in remote areas.