Philippine energy law is a Philippine law that concerns energy, both fossil fuels and renewable energy. As one of the fastest-growing nations in Asia, with over 80 million residents, energy law in the Philippines is important.
Researching Philippine law is somewhat complicated; all laws are numbered sequentially, not by topic or year, and consist of statutes, presidential decrees, other regulations, and case law. Nonetheless, private entities have organized the law into readily accessible formats.Art Abernales' website Energy law page . Accessed November 16, 2009.
Utility laws The earliest Philippine energy law dates from 1903 during the American Commonwealth, Act No. 667, which concerns franchises for utilities,Art Abernales' website Act 667 page . Accessed November 16, 2009. and Act No. 1022, which allowed such to have mortgages.Art Abernales' website Act 1022 page . Accessed November 16, 2009. A uniform law in 1929 established a model act for establishing new utilities.Act No. 3636 , as amended by Commonwealth Act 132 of 1936 . Accessed November 16, 2009.
Fossil fuel laws The first coal mining law, Act No. 2719, known as the Coal Land Act, dates back to 1917.Art Abernales' website Act No. 2719 page , as amended by Act No. 3516 and Republic Act 740 . Accessed November 16, 2009.
Oil exploration was allowed by Act No. 2932 of 1920.Act No. 2932 . Accessed November 16, 2009.
An older law, Act. No. 4243, was repealed by The Mining Act, Commonwealth Act No. 137 in 1936,Commonwealth Act No. 137 . Accessed November 16, 2009. as amended several times by acts and decrees.See Republic Act No. 225 , Republic Act No. 746 , Republic Act No. 4388 , Presidential Decree No. 99-a , Presidential Decree No. 295 , Presidential Decree No. 463 , Presidential Decree No. 1383 , and Presidential Decree No. 1677 . Some of the decrees by Ferdinand Marcos allowed "exploitation" of resources to unsustainable levels, strip mining and/or deforestation. Accessed November 16, 2009.
Renewable energy laws The first hydroelectric power law dates from 1933, Act No. 4062.Act No. 4062 . Accessed November 16, 2009. Commonwealth Act No. 120 of 1936 created the National Power Corporation,Commonwealth Act No. 120 . Accessed November 16, 2009. and was amended several times through 1967.See Republic Act No. 358 , Republic Act No. 1397 , Republic Act No. 2058 , Republic Act No. 2641 , Republic Act No. 3043 , and Republic Act No. 4897 . Accessed November 16, 2009.
A subsequent law, Republic Act 9513, known as the Renewable Energy Law, which encourages the development and use of non-traditional energy sources, has since come into being.Asia Pacific Tax Notes, p. 52, found at PriceWaterhouseCoopers China website. Accessed November 16, 2009.
See also Energy law Philippine Economic History, 1973-1986 Wind power in the Philippines
Further reading Paul Cook, Leading Issues in Competition, Regulation, and Development, The energy industry in the Philippines, p. 383
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