NUCLEAR energy advocates in the country are renewing calls to restart the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) amid the ongoing fuel crisis and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which continue to drive energy uncertainty.
The facility, which was completed in 1984 but never commissioned due to safety and corruption issues, is being pushed as a potential solution to the country’s heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels.
The call to activate the plant was made by nuclear energy advocacy group Alpas Pinas and Pangasinan 2nd District Rep. Mark Cojuangco at a media briefing on April 16. “We are sitting on valuable infrastructure that can significantly lower electricity costs and reduce our dependence on imported fuels. The question is no longer whether nuclear energy is viable. It is whether we are willing to act,” Cojuangco said.
Supporters of nuclear energy believe that it will help pave the way for economic security by lowering electricity costs for businesses and households, enhancing competitiveness and attracting investment. Cojuangco said he hopes to see 16-megawatt (MW) of nuclear power to be online in the Philippines before the end of 2045.
According to Cojuangco, every 1,000 MW of nuclear capacity could save the Philippines between $600 million and $700 million annually in avoided coal or gas importation. The BNPP, specifically, with a capacity of 620 MW, could result in savings of $350 million to $400 million due to avoided coal or gas importation every year — for 80 years.
Alpas Pinas Lead Convenor Gayle Certeza said that the Philippines must take “decisive action as it faces an increasingly uncertain global energy landscape.”
The Philippines continues to depend heavily on fossil fuels, with coal and natural gas making up 75 percent of its electricity generation. While renewable energy is making inroads into the Philippines’ energy mix, coal maintains its dominance.
Economic growth
Both Certeza and Cojuangco concurred that this dependence on fossil fuels makes the country vulnerable to global price volatility and energy security risks. Certeza added that the ongoing fuel crisis shows that “our current energy system is not built for resilience.”
“Nuclear energy provides a clean, cheap and reliable solution that supports both economic growth and environmental sustainability,” she said.
According to Cojuangco, the decision to shelve the BNPP 40 years ago prevented the country from reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. The country’s untapped nuclear assets, which include the BNPP, the plant site, the power line and the nuclear village in Bagac are “not just sunk costs, but strategic opportunities to deliver affordable and resilient electricity,” he said.
The proposed commissioning of the BNPP is among the measures outlined in House Bill 8567 which Cojuangco, who is the House of Representatives Nuclear Energy Committee chairman, authored. The bill was read on the first reading and referred to the Committee on Energy on March 18.
The proposal seeks to integrate nuclear energy in the Philippines’ national energy and development plan. It prescribes funding mechanisms and policy direction to accelerate the development of nuclear power in the country.
However, critics have raised persistent safety concerns in light of the Philippines’ vulnerability to disasters, such as earthquakes and volcanic activity. They also cite the high cost of nuclear energy infrastructure as well as nuclear waste handling and disposal.
In response, advocates argue that nuclear energy is among the safest energy sources. They point to the PhilAtom Act, signed into law in September 2025, which created an independent regulatory body to oversee nuclear safety and ensure alignment with the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The bill has already been referred by the House Committee on Energy to the concerned government agencies for their comments. These agencies include the Department of Energy, Department of Finance, Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Grid Corp. and the Philippine Independent Power Producers of the Philippines.
