Off-grid power push gets P192.8M boost from DOE, ECs

A total of 1,492 households in remote and underserved areas will be energized this year under the first batch of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Locally Funded Project–Total Electrification Program (LFP-TEP).

The DOE said Tuesday that the P192.8-million program, carried out with five electric cooperatives (ECs), will deliver electricity to far-flung, off-grid, and geographically isolated areas through on-grid connections and microgrid systems with renewable energy components. 

“By bringing electricity to our last-mile communities, we are not merely powering homes; we are also empowering dreams, supporting livelihoods, and strengthening the foundations of inclusive growth,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said. 

“Total electrification is not just a number to be achieved; it is a social contract that ensures every Filipino, regardless of geography or circumstance, can benefit from the progress our nation is making,” she added.

The beneficiaries were identified in consultation with the National Electrification Administration.

Participating ECs are Aklan Electric Cooperative, Inc., Aurora Electric Cooperative, Inc., La Union Electric Cooperative, Inc., Quezon II Electric Cooperative, Inc., and Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative, Inc.

In his latest State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to complete nationwide electrification before 2028, targeting the remaining three million households still without power.