The Department of Energy (DOE) has outlined a roadmap for restarting the fifth round of its Green Energy Auction Program (GEA-5) for offshore wind projects, with the auction tentatively scheduled for Dec. 1 after a review of infrastructure, permitting and supply chain issues that prompted its suspension earlier this month.
In GEA-5 Advisory No. 3, the DOE said the recalibration aims to ensure a more transparent, orderly and implementation-ready auction by aligning the program’s requirements and timelines with actual infrastructure readiness, regulatory requirements and prevailing project development conditions.
The agency suspended GEA-5 activities on July 4 under GEA-5 Advisory No. 2 to allow a review of key implementation issues together with government agencies and industry stakeholders. The review covers port readiness, environmental permitting, grid integration, port-related cost implications and potential global supply chain disruptions that could affect offshore wind projects.
“The recalibration is intended to ensure a more transparent, orderly, and implementation-ready auction process,” the DOE said.
Under the indicative timeline, the DOE and key agencies—including the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), and Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)—will coordinate and validate port, environmental and grid-readiness requirements through Sept. 2.
The validation will support the issuance of a Department Circular establishing the policy framework for the recalibrated auction, targeted for signing by Aug. 24 and publication in early September. A draft Supplemental Terms of Reference (TOR) will also undergo public consultation before its targeted release by Oct. 2.
Following the approval of the Supplemental TOR, the DOE will issue an updated GEA-5 schedule and resume auction activities. These include the posting of qualified bidders during the fourth quarter, with the auction proper indicatively scheduled for Dec. 1.
The DOE expects post-auction activities, including bid validation, issuance of Notices of Award, evaluation of documentary requirements and issuance of Certificates of Award, to run from Dec. 2 through June 30, 2027.
The agency stressed that all dates remain indicative and may change depending on the completion of inter-agency validation, legal review, approvals and publication requirements, as well as the outcome of ongoing consultations.
Until the Department Circular, Supplemental TOR and related issuances are finalized, the suspension of GEA-5 activities remains in effect.
The Green Energy Auction Program is the government’s competitive bidding mechanism for procuring new renewable energy capacity at predetermined installation targets.
The fifth auction round focuses on offshore wind, a technology seen as critical to expanding the Philippines’ renewable energy capacity but one that faces significant challenges, including the availability of suitable port infrastructure, transmission facilities, permitting processes, and specialized supply chains needed to support large-scale project development.
