The country’s push for cheap and sustainable electricity—through solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal—is a commendable step toward energy independence and environmental responsibility.
But this well-meaning drive is increasingly undermined by one glaring weakness: our outdated power grid.
While renewable energy projects continue to break ground, our transmission infrastructure remains decades behind.
Power lines are congested, substations are antiquated, and blackouts remain frequent in rural and even urban centers.
This disparity between generation and transmission has created a dangerous paradox: energy is being produced, but it can’t be delivered efficiently or reliably.
Consumers are promised lower costs, but what they experience are sudden brownouts, grid instability, and limited access to renewables.
Investors and power developers are equally frustrated—many renewable energy projects sit idle, awaiting grid upgrades or transmission line connections that take years to complete.
As a result, the intended benefits of clean energy—affordable rates, job creation, and improved energy security—are delayed or diminished.
Worse, without a smart and flexible grid, integrating intermittent sources like solar and wind becomes a technical challenge.
The absence of digital infrastructure, battery storage, and real-time demand management exposes the country to frequent supply-demand mismatches, especially during extreme weather events.
We must not allow ambition to outpace capacity. The Department of Energy and the National Grid Corporation must act decisively—not only to attract more renewable energy investments but also to modernize the grid in tandem.
Public-private partnerships, fast-tracked infrastructure projects, and transparent timelines are essential.
Energy that can’t reach homes, businesses, or industries is energy wasted.
To truly reap the rewards of sustainable power, we need a 21st-century grid—resilient, intelligent, and inclusive.
Otherwise, Filipinos, particularly Eastern Visayas will remain trapped in the power paradox.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #PowerParadox