SONA 2026: Time to revisit nuclear energy production, says Marcos

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday said it is time to revisit nuclear energy production, as he touted some 200 energy projects in the pipeline in a bid to boost the country’s power supply and bring down power rates.

In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos said the administration is working to revisit nuclear energy, as it is already being used in medicine, agriculture, water filtration, and the upcycling of plastic.

“Pushing the envelope further, perhaps it is time for us to revisit nuclear energy production,” he said, noting confidence in its capacity “to reinforce our energy security and bring down the cost of electricity in our country.”

“Titiyakin nating ito ay ligtas. Titiyakin din nating maipaliwanag nang mabuti sa publiko ang magandang dulot sa atin ng enerhiyang nukleyar” he added.

(We will make sure that this is safe. We will also make sure to explain the benefits of nuclear energy propely to the public.)

According to Marcos, the administration has a pipeline covering some 200 power projects across the country that will have a combined capacity of nearly 10,000 megawatts (MW) — 45 of which have already been completed, while 31 are set to be completed this year. The remaining 124 are targeted to be completed by 2028.

These are on top of 1,700 megawatts that the projects will contribute to energy storage systems, which Marcos said will boost energy security.

“Ang mga proyektong ito ay napabilis nang dahil sa mga bagong patakaran at proseso na nagpapadali ng pagnenegosyo dito sa ating bansa, para sa mga Pilipino at dayuhang negosyante,” he said.

(These projects were expedited because of the new regulations and processes that eased doing business here in the country for Filipinos and foreign investors.)

The Philippines, a net fuel importer, in March declared a state of national energy emergency after the US and Israel attacked Iran, resulting in Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime chokepoint for the global oil supply.

The Department of Energy (DOE) in January identified several potential locations for nuclear power plants including Bataan; Labrador, Pangasinan; Camarines Norte; Puerto Princesa, Palawan; and Masbate.

The DOE previously said the Philippines is eyeing to have commercially operational nuclear power plants by 2032, with at least 1,200 megawatts initially entering the country's power mix. This is then targeted to gradually increase to 4,800 megawatts by 2050.

Marcos last September also signed into law the creation of an independent agency that will look into safe use of nuclear energy and radiation sources in the country. — BM, GMA News