DOE indefinitely suspends the implementation of GEA-5

On Saturday, 04 July 2026, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) announced that the implementation of the fifth green energy auction (“GEA-5”) round that was supposed to begin on 27 August 2026, with the awarding of winning bidders on 23 September 2026, has been put on indefinite hold in order to give the government time to recalibrate the bidding process.

The DOE, through GEA-5 Advisory No. 2, announced that the suspension was done in order to give the government time to recalibrate the bidding process – including, but not limited to, port readiness, permitting requirements, and the environmental and cost implications of port development. The suspension was also intended to ensure that the process will be more transparent, orderly, and implementation ready – with due consideration to the potential impact of the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and its effects on global supply chains. The recent constraints regarding logistics and infrastructure likewise contributed to the decision.

The GEA-5 is the first to focus exclusively on fixed-bottom offshore wind technology and was conducted pursuant to the Green Energy Auction Program (“GEAP”) guidelines and is part of the strategy to achieve renewable energy targets outlined in the Philippine Energy Plan 2025 – 2050 and the National Renewable Energy Program.

In this regard, the DOE has committed to issue the necessary guidelines, supplemental issuances, and revised timelines that will govern the period of indefinite suspension.