Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon S. Garin formally welcomed the newly appointed Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in the Philippines, Bridgette L. Walker, during a high-level courtesy call at the DOE Headquarters.
The meeting served to reinforce the deep-rooted and enduring strategic alliance between the Philippines and the United States, coinciding with a historic milestone: the celebration of 80 years of formal Philippine-American friendship and diplomatic relations in 2026.
Secretary Garin and Deputy Chief of Mission Walker engaged in productive dialogue focused on accelerating bilateral initiatives to transition the Philippines toward a sustainable, resilient, and low-carbon energy future. Both leaders emphasized that a stable and modernized energy sector is foundational to the national security and economic prosperity of both nations.
“Our 80-year relationship with the United States has evolved significantly, and today, the energy sector stands at the very forefront of this partnership,” said Secretary Garin. “As we face the dual challenges of meeting growing domestic power demands and combating climate change, the continued support, technical expertise, and investment from our American allies are invaluable. We look forward to working closely with Ms. Walker to transform our shared clean energy visions into concrete realities.”
The discussions outlined several key priority pillars for ongoing and future cooperation:
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Energy Security & Grid Resilience: Implementing advanced strategies to safeguard critical energy infrastructure against natural disasters and cybersecurity threats while ensuring a continuous, reliable power supply.
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Infrastructure & Clean Energy Development: Mobilizing private and public sector investments to accelerate the deployment of utility-scale renewable energy projects, including solar, onshore and offshore wind, and geothermal power.
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Emerging Technologies: Exploring cutting-edge innovations such as civil nuclear energy cooperation—following the landmark 2023 “123 Agreement”—smart grid systems, and energy storage solutions (ESS) to successfully integrate variable renewables into the national grid.
Deputy Chief of Mission Walker reiterated the United States’ unwavering commitment to supporting the Philippines’ ambitious goal of increasing the renewable energy share in its power generation mix to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040.
Both the DOE and the U.S. Embassy pledged to maintain open lines of communication and sustain momentum through established bilateral frameworks, including the U.S.-Philippines Strategic Energy Dialogue (SED), to ensure the mutual progress of their energy agendas.
