Nuclear Power in the Philippines: A Ticking Time Bomb or the Nation’s Brightest Hope?

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

When it comes to the Philippines’ unending struggle for affordable, sustainable, and reliable electricity, the debate over nuclear power is no longer confined to the academic or speculative. It has become real, imminent, and pressing. The government, through the Department of Energy (DOE), has already unveiled its nuclear energy road map at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna in 2024. The bold plan? To bring the country’s first nuclear power plant online by 2032, beginning with 1,200 megawatts (MW) and scaling up to 4,800 MW by 2050.

The numbers are striking, but so are the questions. Will nuclear power become the Philippines’ salvation from high energy costs, or is it merely a gamble with consequences too catastrophic to bear?

A Road Already Chosen

Unlike past decades where nuclear debates were hypothetical, the Philippines has crossed the threshold. Secretary Sharon Garin made it clear: nuclear energy is officially part of the country’s future. Legislative support is moving in tandem. The Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, ratified by Congress in June 2025, created the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM) — an agency tasked to enforce international safety standards and ensure nuclear energy’s “peaceful” use.

In a country where brownouts, red alerts, and skyrocketing electricity bills are common frustrations, the promise of nuclear energy resonates. PNRI Director Carlo Arcilla bluntly noted that today’s power costs are crushing consumers. His colleague, Deputy Director Dr. Valerrie Ann Samson, emphasized that nuclear power is far more efficient and cleaner than coal, and theoretically much cheaper.

Yet, theory and reality don’t always align in Philippine governance.

Ghosts of the Past: Fukushima, Chernobyl, and Bataan

No conversation on nuclear energy escapes the shadow of past disasters. Fukushima, Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island stand as grim reminders that when nuclear power goes wrong, it doesn’t just fail — it devastates. Add to that the Philippines’ own painful history: the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), mothballed for decades after a combination of corruption, safety concerns, and political upheaval.

Now, with new commitments and renewed political will, the specter of BNPP hangs over every new nuclear proposal. Will the nation’s leaders ensure that history does not repeat itself?

Consumers Left in the Dark

The government’s nuclear agenda is being advanced at breakneck speed. The Nuclear Energy Plan Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC), composed of 24 agencies and six subcommittees, is methodically tackling every dimension of the nuclear question — from safety and regulation to human resources and radioactive waste management.

But glaringly absent in the process is the consumer voice.

For the 28% of electricity users who are residential consumers, the stakes are enormous. They are the ones paying the highest rates in Asia. They are the ones suffering from service interruptions. And yet, where are they in the policymaking process? Energy cannot just be a technocratic project. It is a human right.

Fortunately, there are glimmers of recognition. Congressman Mark Cojuangco, chair of the House Committee on Nuclear Energy, has opened the door for consumer advocates like Kuryente.org to be included in future hearings and discussions. For groups like Kuryente.org, led by Bas Umali, the demand is simple: transparency, accountability, and clear proof that nuclear energy will truly lower electricity bills.

The Unanswered Questions

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), during its Information, Education, and Communication Campaign in March, was asked directly: If nuclear energy enters the retail market, how will regulators ensure that prices are fair for consumers?

The answer? Silence.

This silence is more dangerous than any reactor core. Because without concrete guarantees of affordability, nuclear power may simply become another expensive experiment, enriching a few while leaving millions still shackled by high electricity costs.

Threat or Opportunity?

Nuclear energy is neither inherently evil nor inherently good. It is a double-edged sword. Managed well, it could provide the Philippines with cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable energy than coal, gas, or oil ever could. Mismanaged, it could unleash financial ruin, environmental disaster, or worse, a catastrophe no nation can fully recover from.

What matters now is not whether we are pro- or anti-nuclear. That question is already behind us. The real challenge lies in ensuring that the nuclear path chosen by our government does not trample on the rights of its citizens.

Will nuclear power finally end the cycle of brownouts and high bills, or will it be another monument to failed promises? The answer depends not just on scientists and lawmakers, but on whether ordinary consumers are given a seat at the table — where their voices, their welfare, and their future truly matter.

Until then, the question remains: nuclear power, threat or opportunity?

For inquiries: kuryente.org@gmail.com

Kuryente.org is a consumer welfare organization that pursues transparency and good governance in the energy sector. Its mission is to safeguard the Filipino people’s right to sustainable, accessible, reliable, and affordable energy.

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