Philippines Launches Energy Resiliency Scorecard To Enhance Sector’s Climate Resilience

The Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the Task Force on Energy Resiliency (TFER) and the United States Agency for International Development – Energy Secure Philippines (USAID-ESP), has introduced the Energy Resiliency Scorecard (ERS). This new initiative aims to fortify energy systems and enhance climate resilience by providing a standardized benchmark for evaluating energy resilience.

The ERS is a self-assessment tool designed to evaluate the readiness of energy facilities to prepare for, withstand, and recover from both natural and human-induced disruptions. It measures resilience across seven critical pillars: infrastructure strengthening, systems, disaster risk financing and insurance, stockpiling, response, rehabilitation, and cyber resilience. The scorecard also offers benchmarking against local and international resilience standards, incorporating models such as the DOE’s Resiliency Compliance Plan (RCP).

Energy Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella emphasized the significance of the ERS, stating, “With the ERS, energy facilities can assess their current resilience levels and identify areas for improvement. This tool allows facilities to pinpoint strengths, uncover gaps, and prioritize enhancements to boost overall energy resilience.”

The implementation of the ERS began with a pilot test involving nine distribution utilities and generation and transmission facilities in Leyte. The pilot revealed varying levels of resilience among participants, with some achieving an “Advanced” rating while others were classified at “Intermediate” levels. The pilot was subsequently expanded to Regions 1, 2, 3, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. The finalized scorecards for electric cooperatives are expected to be launched in September, with those for power generation and transmission facilities planned for release next year.

Isabela I Electric Cooperative, one of the pilot participants, highlighted the scorecard’s importance: “The scorecard is crucial for conducting vulnerability risk assessments and preparing emergency restoration plans. It provides clear benchmarks and metrics for measuring resilience, which supports informed decision-making and effective resource allocation.”

The launch of the ERS builds on lessons learned from past events, such as the 2017 Marawi siege, which led to the creation of the TFER and the requirement for energy industry players to submit an RCP for post-disaster evaluation. The expansion of the ERS to include cybersecurity and the enhancements in RCP assessments reflect a commitment to using science-based approaches for policy formulation and advancing energy resilience.

The ERS aligns with international frameworks, including the Integrated Resource and Resilience Planning Framework and the Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient from the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. These frameworks are utilized by local government units to evaluate and enhance resiliency.