Representatives from the Philippines and the US meet in Manila for 2nd Energy Policy Dialogue | Photo courtesy of DOE
MANILA—Following the inaugural Energy Policy Dialogue (EPD) between the US and the Philippines held in the US in August 2023, both countries met again for a second Dialogue on December 6, 2024, in Manila. The meeting aimed to deepen energy security cooperation, expand energy access, and accelerate the clean energy transition.
The Philippines’ Department of Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla welcomed the delegates, and the US Ambassador to the Philippines delivered the opening remarks.
Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella led the Philippine delegation.
The US delegation was led by Kimberly D. Harrington, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy at the US Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources. Ann Ganzer, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. Policy experts from the US Department of Energy, the US Agency for International Development, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the US Trade and Development Agency joined them.
Representatives from the delegations discussed advancing the deployment of renewable energy technologies to reduce carbon emissions, including plans for modernizing and expanding energy transmission infrastructure to meet growing demand.
They also laid out the detailed next steps for deploying nuclear energy in the Philippines following the entry into force of the bilateral Agreement for Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (the “123 Agreement”) in July 2024.
A significant outcome was finalizing a guiding document establishing a framework for regular and structured engagement in the energy sector. Both nations agreed to continue collaboration on joint projects to advance shared energy security and energy transition goals.
The dialogue emphasized the importance of providing affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy and noted the private sector’s pivotal role in achieving these goals.
This second annual Energy Policy Dialogue (EPD) was initiated during US Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to the Philippines in November 2022. During this visit, both countries recognized the vital role of sustainable energy partnerships in driving economic growth and addressing global climate challenges.
The delegations agreed to continue collaborating on joint projects to advance their shared energy security and transition goals.
