PRESS RELEASE
30 January 2026

PCC, DOE hold dialogue on competition in Green Energy Auction Program

On January 19, the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) held a policy dialogue to discuss the findings and recommendations of the PCC Economics Office’s competition impact assessment (CIA) of the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP). The discussion centered on previous GEAP auction rounds and how its design could be further improved to better foster pro-competitive principles.

Policy dialogue between the PCC and DOE, held on January 19, 2026 in Quezon City.

The CIA identified competition concerns with respect to auction designs in previous GEAP rounds, namely: the geographic segmentation of auctions by island group; the representative plants used in determining Green Energy Auction Reserve (GEAR) prices; and the publication of price caps and holding of pre-bid conferences. The CIA noted that some of these features could have led to limited bidder participation and posed possible opportunities for collusion. Generally, the CIA suggests careful evaluation of future auction designs, considering the policy objective of achieving the most competitive energy tariffs while increasing renewable energy share in the country’s generation mix.

During the dialogue, the DOE stated that GEAP rounds continue to undergo review and development to promote wider participation and growth in the renewable energy sector. The DOE also said that future auctions may still be designed on a per-island-group basis, despite interconnectivity of the national grid, to address local supply needs and reduce service delivery concerns. While GEAR prices are determined by the Energy Regulatory Commission through technical studies and consultations, the DOE acknowledged the importance of keeping these processes transparent and responsive to evolving technologies. Refinements in auction design have also been introduced to safeguard competition. The DOE underscored the importance of the program to achieving the country’s renewable energy goal to achieve a 35 percent renewable energy share in the power generation mix and increasing to 50 percent by 2024.

As part of its mandate to advocate for pro-competition policies, the PCC conducts CIAs to help government agencies evaluate the pro-competitiveness of their policies and regulations. Through policy dialogues, the Commission assesses the competitive implications of regulatory frameworks and proposes recommendations that enhance market competition and economic efficiency. These initiatives support the implementation of the National Competition Policy, a whole-of-government strategy that requires agencies to align their policies with competition law principles.

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REFERENCE:  
publicaffairs@phcc.gov.ph  
Public Affairs and Research Division
Communications and Knowledge Management Office
Philippine Competition Commission