MANILA Electric Co. (Meralco) is confident that the government’s nuclear energy ambitions will advance under the new interim Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin, who had formerly overseen nuclear energy policy for the department.
“I think with her at the helm, we can be on top of our nuclear agenda,” Ronnie L. Aperocho, Meralco executive vice-president and chief operating officer, told reporters on the sidelines of the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting.
Ms. Garin, who was appointed office in charge of the Department of Energy (DoE), headed its nuclear energy division in her former position as Undersecretary.
Former Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla was transferred to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. revamped his cabinet last week.
“(Ms. Garin) is on top of the nuclear energy agenda. Although we have not discussed it yet, we think that it will be at the top of her agenda. And then with the opening of the next Congress, we hope that nuclear will be the priority,” Mr. Aperocho said.
The DoE expects to start feeding nuclear energy into the grid by 2032. For now, it is occupied with complying with international nuclear safety standards.
Meralco is hopeful that the bill seeking to establish an independent nuclear energy regulator will obtain Senate approval when Congress returns in June.
Under the Philippine nuclear energy roadmap, the government has set a target of 1,200 megawatts (MW) of nuclear capacity by 2032, scaling up to 2,400 MW by 2040 and 4,800 MW by 2050.
By 2025, the nuclear legal and regulatory framework are expected to be in place.
Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
