Creation of the DOE Nuclear Energy Program Coordinating Committee

On 29 January 2024, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) issued Department Order (“DO”) No. 2024-01-0001 which provides for the creation of the DOE Nuclear Energy Program Coordinating Committee (“DOE NEP-CC”). This is in connection with the plan of the Philippine government to develop a nuclear energy program in the country. 

Under DO 2016-10-0013, the Department of Energy-Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization undertook Phase 1 of the International Atomic Energy Agency (“IAEA”) milestone approach requiring a discussion of considerations to launch a nuclear power program. They then issued a recommendation to embark on a nuclear power program. 

Subsequently, then-President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order 116 (“EO 116”) authorizing the conduct of a study on the adoption of nuclear energy programs in the Philippines. Under EO 116, the Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee (“NEP-IAC“) was created with the mandate to conduct a pre-feasibility study to evaluate the need for introducing nuclear power into the Philippines’ energy mix. This was followed by Executive Order 164 (“EO 164”) which formally adopted a nuclear energy program in the Philippines, and in which the DOE was mandated to develop and implement the program as part of the Philippine Energy Plan and to assist the NEP-IAC. 

As the country embarks on Phase 2 (preparatory work for the construction of a nuclear power plant in the country), and Phase 3 (activities to implement a first nuclear power plant), Department Order No. 2024-01-0001 was issued to reorganize the coordinating arm of the DOE to assist the NEP-IAC and realize the DOE’s goal of tapping 2,400 megawatts of nuclear power by 2032.

The DOE NEP-CC was thus created to ensure the effective participation of the DOE in the NEP-IAC in line with EO 164. The DOE NEP-CC will serve as the coordinating arm of the DOE to the NEP-IAC in implementing Phases 2 and 3 of the IAEA milestone approach.