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Blinken Signs Wind Power Deal in Philippines
Every region in the world is experiencing the dangerous effects of the climate crisis, warned Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “The Philippines,” he noted on a recent trip there, “is especially vulnerable. You’re dealing with more intense typhoons, extreme rainfall, rising temperatures and sea levels.”
Last year the Philippines announced an ambitious clean energy goal – to produce 35 percent of the nation’s energy from renewable sources by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. “The United States commends these goals, and we’re committed to helping the Philippines achieve them,” declared Secretary Blinken.
“With a grant from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, we will lay the groundwork together for one of the first offshore wind projects in the Philippines. In time, that project will produce up to 3,000 megawatts of clean energy every single year.” That’s enough energy to power more than two million homes.
This is only the latest clean energy collaboration between the U.S. and the Philippines. The U.S. recently supported the Philippines’ first competitive bidding program with energy providers committed to producing another 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2025. This past March, the Philippines joined the Clean Energy Demand Initiative - a program run by the United States that connects countries looking to switch to clean energy with companies that can help them do that.
Last year, the U.S. and Philippines launched the Energy-Secure Philippines Initiative, which mobilizes private-sector investments and more clean energy generation throughout the Philippines.
Both nations are working together to develop a nuclear energy sector in the Philippines with a recent agreement to facilitate cooperation between U.S. and Philippine nuclear experts.
And as a founding member of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the Philippines joins 13 countries across the region who are committing to clean energy and a fairer, more resilient economy.
“This work is critical,” said Secretary Blinken, “and we are grateful to our partners across the Philippines – the government, the private sector, and civil society for their dedication to this nation’s clean energy future. Together we’re reducing carbon emissions while creating jobs. We’re sparking innovation. We’re producing affordable, reliable energy for families and communities throughout the country.”