The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) have taken a major step toward advancing offshore wind (OSW) development in the country through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on 27 August 2026.
The agreement establishes a clearer and more coordinated process for securing and administering tenurial instruments over auxiliary areas and interconnection facility areas needed to support OSW projects.
Signed by Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin and PNOC President and Chief Executive Officer Franz Josef George E. Alvarez, the agreement facilitates access to areas needed for cable landing points, onshore substations, converter stations, access roads, staging and storage areas, operation and maintenance facilities, generation-side interconnection lines, and other infrastructure essential to connect OSW generation to the grid.
The initiative builds on the DOE-DENR MOA dated 10 October 2024, which established a framework for the use of offshore and auxiliary areas for OSW projects. It also operationalizes the clarification issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on 13 April 2026 concerning the appropriate proof of authority required for auxiliary and other onshore components of OSW projects.
“OSW development does not end at sea. This agreement gives OSW developers a clearer and more coordinated pathway for securing the onshore areas needed to support their projects,” Secretary Garin said. “By defining institutional roles and procedures, we are reducing uncertainty and helping address an important requirement in moving viable OSW projects toward construction and eventual operation,” the Secretary added.
Under the MOA, OSW developers will identify the required sites and submit the necessary technical, legal, environmental, mapping, and project documentation to the DOE. The DOE will confirm the validity of the relevant OSW Service Contract, validate that the proposed areas are necessary for the project and formally endorse the validated application areas and application package to PNOC.
PNOC will review the formal and substantive sufficiency of the application based on the requirements prescribed in the DENR’s Citizen’s Charter and applicable issuances. Once the documentary requirements and deposited funds are found sufficient, PNOC will file the application with DENR for the appropriate tenurial instrument.
PNOC will complete its evaluation of DOE-endorsed proposals within 30 working days. Upon issuance of the appropriate tenurial instrument by DENR, PNOC will notify the developer within five calendar days and work toward concluding a Project-Specific Use Agreement within 15 calendar days to govern the lawful access and use of the covered area.
The framework operates within the existing mandates and authorities of DENR, the Energy Regulatory Commission, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, the National Transmission Corporation, local government units, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and other concerned agencies. Developers remain responsible for securing other applicable permits, approvals, land rights, and associated costs required for their projects.
By establishing a more structured and predictable process, the DOE-PNOC partnership addresses an important requirement in moving OSW projects from development toward construction. Securing appropriate access to areas are essential for connecting offshore generation facilities to the grid and ultimately delivering their electricity to consumers.
The initiative is particularly timely as the DOE advances the Fifth Green Energy Auction (GEA-5), the country’s first Green Energy Auction round dedicated to offshore wind, with a capacity offering of 3.3 gigawatts (GW) of fixed-bottom offshore wind for delivery between 2028 and 2030. Beyond GEA-5, OSW plays an important role in the country’s long-term energy transition.
The Philippine Energy Plan 2023–2050 sets a target of 19 GW of OSW capacity under Clean Energy Scenario 1 by 2050, while the country’s estimated 178 GW of technical OSW potential underscores the scale of the resource available for future development. The DOE and PNOC will continue to coordinate with DENR and other concerned agencies to ensure that the framework is implemented transparently, consistently, and in accordance with law.
The partnership supports the national goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in the power generation mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. By strengthening the enabling framework for offshore wind development, the government aims to translate the country’s vast renewable energy potential into actual generation capacity that contributes to a more secure, reliable, and sustainable energy future for Filipinos.
