The Department of Energy (DOE) is targeting to hold the country’s fifth Green Energy Auction (GEA-5) in December after a two-month recalibration to address permitting and government readiness issues.

Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said on Tuesday the auction proper is now scheduled for 1 December, following the suspension of GEA-5 proceedings announced three weeks ago.

“We promised that in two months, we will resume Green Energy Auction 5,” Guevara said during a media briefing.

Under the revised timetable, the government has until 2 September to complete coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) on environmental permits, tenurial rights, fees, bonds, monitoring funds, and other readiness requirements.

According to Guevara, the review is intended to provide prospective bidders with certainty on permitting costs and clarify PNOC’s role in helping developers secure tenurial rights.

The DOE also expects to finalize its supplemental department circular by 24 August before releasing the supplemental terms of reference, updated auction timetable, stakeholder advisory, bidding instructions and authority to resume GEA-5 by 2 October.

Following the auction, developers may submit post-auction requirements from 2 December until 30 June 2027, with those completing the requirements earlier receiving their Certificates of Award sooner.

“So, in total, the delay in Green Energy Auction 5 will only be about two months,” Guevara said.

Guevara also dismissed concerns that the revised timetable would affect the nine offshore wind projects currently being evaluated under the Green Energy Auction and Investment Accelerator, saying the changes are meant to allow the government to fulfill its commitments rather than impose additional requirements on developers.

“If you notice, the timeline that we have provided is for the government to ensure that the government commitments like the ports for the offshore wind and the connections and the tenurial rights and the schedules of fees, these are all on the government’s side,” she said.

Before the suspension, the DOE had planned to identify winning bidders by September under an 18-month auction process that began with supplier registration and was scheduled to conclude with the issuance of Certificates of Award in early 2027.

GEA-5 will procure 3,300 megawatts of fixed-bottom offshore wind capacity for delivery between 2028 and 2030.