In response to President Marcos Jr.’s call to cut red tape, the Department of Energy (DOE) convened an inter-agency meeting on August 14, 2025, to streamline the Net Metering Program and make renewable energy more accessible to Filipino households.
Joined by the ERC, DILG, NEA, and Meralco, the DOE aims to simplify application procedures, enforce strict timelines, and remove unnecessary requirements—especially for electric cooperative consumers. These reforms will help more households lower electricity bills and earn from surplus solar power.
“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… We are done talking about possibilities — it is time to deliver results,” said Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin.
Meralco pledged to support the initiative through digitization, installer accreditation, and equipment standardization. Under the program, users can install up to 100 kW of solar power and receive peso credits for excess energy exported to the grid.
As of May 2025, 17,175 users are enrolled, with 157 MWp installed. However, long processing times and excessive documentary requirements—especially from LGUs—have slowed progress. The meeting reaffirmed the government’s commitment to removing these barriers and empowering Filipinos to become clean energy producers.
The Bench Files 
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