The Department of Energy (DOE) is pushing to establish a predictable and streamlined process for applicants of the Net Metering Program by dismantling red tape that has slowed household adoption of clean energy.

The agency said on Monday that the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Electrification Administration (NEA), and Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) committed to help implement reforms to cut documentary requirements, harmonize procedures, and impose strict timelines on approvals.

The DOE said the changes would allow more households, particularly those served by electric cooperatives, to cut costs and generate additional income by selling excess electricity back to the grid.

“Every day we delay is another day Filipino consumers lose the chance to reduce their electricity bills and earn from their own clean energy production. The President has made it clear: the Net Metering Program must work for the people, not against them,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said.

“We will tear down the walls of red tape, set clear and uniform rules, and fast-track approvals so households can start generating and selling clean power without being buried in paperwork. We are done talking about possibilities, it is time to deliver results,” she added.

The DOE cited local government permitting as one of the biggest causes of delay, with Certificates of Final Electrical Inspection and electrical permits often tied up by additional, non-essential requirements.

In some franchise areas, applicants face up to 15 documents before they can be energized.

Meralco pledged to align with government efforts by digitizing and digitalizing its processes, accrediting solar PV installers, and standardizing solar equipment.

The utility said the reforms would help democratize access to renewable energy and widen consumer participation.

As of May, there were 17,175 registered end-users under the Net Metering Program with a combined installed capacity of 157 megawatts peak.