Sariling Kuryente Act Filed at House Following Marcos' Push

Following a call by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), a measure encouraging households to generate their own power by installing home solar panels and battery storage systems has been filed at the House of Representatives. House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, and House Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III filed House Bill No. 10431, or the "Sariling Kuryente Act" (Own Electricity Act). "If a family or business can generate and store their own power, government should clear the path instead of treating them like a commercial power producer," the presidential son said in a statement. President Marcos himself also asked Congress for help to make the installation of solar panels and battery storage systems in their homes "simple, easy, and affordable." The proposed measure emphasizes that operating a behind-the-meter generator or energy storage system purely for personal use does not make an end-user a generation company. Furthermore, distribution utilities cannot demand prior approval, extra technical studies, meter replacements, agreements, or added fees for these qualified non-exporting systems. If a system uses Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)-recognized, certified equipment to prevent electricity from feeding back into the distribution grid, it no longer requires prior approval or a certificate of compliance from the ERC. The owner may only be required to notify the distribution utility that the installation has been completed. Moreover, homeowners’ associations, property managers, and developers cannot stop residents from installing these systems on their own private property. They can only set reasonable guidelines related to structural safety, public safety, or shared community spaces. The Department of Energy (DOE) said that it will soon issue a policy similar to the proposed measure by the President. "With that policy, we want to simplify the requirements, lessen the bureaucracy so that it will be faster. So we will be issuing this maybe in a month or so. But that is the basic objective of the Sariling Kuryente Act, that people can put it up with less hassle on their permits and quick installation," Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said. This legislative move is expected to bolster the Philippines' energy independence and alleviate the financial burden on households and small businesses, which are particularly affected by rising electricity costs. Given the country's high reliance on imported fuel, the volatility of global energy prices directly impacts domestic electricity rates, making the promotion of self-generation a significant policy priority. Information Source: GMA News Philippines