Nuclear energy and DOE navigator
June 5, 2025 | 12:00am
https://www.philstar.com/business/2025/06/05/2448216/nuclear-energy-and-doe-navigator
Energy is development. All countries and economies that have developed fast have abundant energy supply to power and sustain their household and industrial needs. Nuclear energy has been used by many industrialized countries since the 60s or earlier as part of their energy mix. In 1966 or six decades ago, these countries already have at least 200 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of power generation from nuclear alone: France, Germany, Russia, Canada, Japan. With huge nuclear generation already that year were Italy with 3,900, US with 5,800 and UK with 20,800 GWh.
In Asia in 1977, these countries have at least 100 GWh power generation from nuclear alone: Taiwan, South Korea, Pakistan, India; Japan has 31,700 GWh from nuclear that year.
In 1985 when the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) should have started operation, these three countries which have “sister” nuclear plants of BNPP also built by Westinghouse have the following nuclear generation, including output by reactors built by other companies: Brazil 3,400 GWh, South Korea 16,700 GWh, Spain 28,000 GWh. Slovenia (then Yugoslavia that time) has one nuclear plant also built by Westinghouse and commissioned in 1983 and generating an average of 5,700 GWh a year.
If energy realism prevailed and political alarmism was curtailed, BNPP would have been contributing an average of 4,600 GWh a year and the big daily blackouts of 1990-1991 would not have happened.
One good thing now is that nuclear energy is getting more accepted by the public and local energy companies. See for instance these recent reports in The Philippine STAR written by Brix Lelis: “Government maps out potential nuclear sites” (April 2), “MVP brings French firm to fuel Philippines nuclear push” (April 14), “Meralco eyes rehab of Bataan nuclear plant” (April 27), “Meralco pushes for Senate OK on nuclear bill” (May 5), “Nuclear push to gain steam as Garin takes over at DOE” (May 29), “Meralco stepping up nuclear talks with SoKor firms” (June 2).
The Department of Energy (DOE) has one official dedicated for this – Undersecretary and now OIC Secretary Sharon Garin, a former congresswoman from Iloilo, is Ilongo like me, and is in charge of DOE’s Nuclear Energy Program Inter agency Committee (NEP-IAC).
In March 2024, there was a Philippine Nuclear Trade Mission to Canada organized by the Canada Embassy in Manila. Garin and DOST Undersecretary Leah Buendia led the delegation that included among others, ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta, PNRI deputy director Valerie Samson, and officials from Aboitiz Power Meralco and Prime Infra. I was one of four local media persons who participated.
A few months ago, there was a repeat of that activity in Canada with a different set of Philippine participants and Garin was still the head of delegation.
Last November 2024, there was a big event, the three-day Philippines International Nuclear Supply Chain Forum held at Solaire North in Quezon City organized by the DOE. There is also a series of Nuclear Energy Awareness Training (NEAT) seminars, the next one will be next week, June 9-11 in Makati City with the theme, Philippine Nuclear Energy 101: Powering the Future.
Garin has been on top of these events, big and small, local and international. She showed managerial and strategist capabilities. But a bigger challenge is to have a law that will govern nuclear energy regulation. Being a former legislator herself, Garin should have the familiarity and network advantage in pushing for the Philippine Nuclear Energy Safety Act or PhilAtom bill. It has been passed at the Lower House in 2023 but got stalled in the Senate.
Among the challenges for the new DOE Secretary, I spoke with two of my co-participants in the Canada nuclear mission, engineers Suiee Suarez and Lino Bernardo. Suiee said that there is a need to “integrate nuclear power and more LNG to our supply… and the national grid has to have a hybrid energy system, or a mix of technologies that balances the system and allows for flexibility as we build the energy system of the future.”
Lino said that “a critical first step is the passage of a law to provide the necessary legal and regulatory framework to support nuclear development. DOE and private energy companies to initiate feasibility studies on a potential sites and appropriate reactor technologies, ensuring these align with the country’s energy needs, grid situation, environmental conditions, and most important safety requirements. Also have international engagements to facilitate knowledge transfer, training, technical assistance, and securing long-term fuel supply and waste management solutions.”
Given the above considerations and expectations, I believe that Garin as OIC or acting secretary should become a regular secretary of the DOE. I am passionate about the Philippines going nuclear, to have abundant supply of cheap, 24/7 available electricity to power a rising demand as the Philippines is in the top three fastest growing economies for two years 2023 and 2024, out of top 50 large countries in the world by GDP size.
Then who can possibly replace Garin as undersecretary in charge of NEP-IAC? I can think of two individuals, both UP graduates. Geologist Dr. Carlo “Caloy” Arcilla who is currently director of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), and Lino Bernardo himself.
Doc Caloy is very passionate, very articulate and knowledgeable about nuclear applications in various sectors – power generation, healthcare and pharma, agriculture, industrial isotopes, etc. Lino has strong corporate background and been involved in the power sector for decades.
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