Philippines Partnership

The Philippines Department of Energy launched the competitive renewable energy zones (CREZ) process to scale up renewable energy generation on its power system. The CREZ process identifies the most economic renewable energy resource areas so transmission planning and expansion can accelerate their development. By proactively focusing transmission expansion to these resource areas, renewable energy generation development obstacles such as transmission access, energy curtailment, land permitting, and regulatory barriers are easier to overcome. This reduces risks to private sector renewable energy investment.

As part of the CREZ process, the USAID and NREL engaged a broad set of energy sector stakeholders through an advisory committee and two working groups to identify an initial set of CREZ study areas.

Following these efforts, a group of modelers visited NREL’s campus and worked with NREL to conduct analyses of the options and create a modeling framework for assessing transmission development plans. In 2023, the transmission development plans were approved to proceed. Data on the CREZ is available on RE Data Explorer.

Through the Advanced Energy Partnership for Asia, NREL is providing follow-on CREZ support to the Philippines Department of Energy by expanding the analysis to consider areas for cost-effective offshore wind development and associated transmission needs.

“This research exchange at NREL improves our own decision-making and allows us to know more overall about modeling dynamics as we integrate these resources.” —Noriel Reyes, senior science research specialist, Philippines Department of Energy

Ready for Renewables: Grid Planning and Competitive Renewable Energy Zones in the Philippines, NREL Technical Report (2020)

Though a collaboration with the Advanced Energy Partnership for Asia, the Philippines Department of Energy was able to determine the feasibility of operating its grid with high levels of renewable energy. The Philippines Department of Energy has also increased its capabilities for enhanced load and modeling forecasting for long-term power system planning.

Being able to predict future electricity demand will help the Philippines apply best practices in forecasting demand a year or more out and implement clean energy solutions to meet those forecasts. Best practices scenario planning informs the Philippines Department of Energy on load modeling and forecasting across different country settings and supports the organization in making informed decisions on clean energy solutions.

Best Practices in Electricity Load Modeling and Forecasting for Long-Term Power System Planning, NREL Technical Report (2023)

Greening the Grid: Solar and Wind Grid Integration Study for the Luzon-Visayas System of the Philippines, NREL Technical Report (2018)

USAID, NREL, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory performed distributed photovoltaic impact analysis to enable decision makers to better understand how policy revisions may impact distributed photovoltaic investment opportunities, utility revenue and tariffs, and the grid. Its analysis focused on three areas:

• Customer economic impacts
• Utility revenue and retail tariff impacts
• Technical impacts on the distribution grid.