The Philippines introduced 13 clean energy policies between February and August 2026, the most among six major Southeast Asian economies tracked during the first six months of the Iran war, Power Philippines reported on September 29.

The findings, from a study by research group Zero Carbon Analytics, point to renewable power and electrification gaining ground as energy security tools rather than purely climate measures, at a time when oil and gas markets have been unusually volatile. Crude oil price swings during the first six months of the war exceeded those of 95% of six-month periods since 2007, the report said.

Across the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, governments brought in 37 renewable energy and electrification policies, against 29 aimed at fossil fuels. Of the clean energy measures, 24 were classified as long-term, compared with six long-term fossil fuel policies, a ratio of four to one. Most fossil fuel measures were short-term crisis responses.

"Our latest research signals a gear shift in Southeast Asia's energy transition. Since the outbreak of the war, long-term clean energy policies have outweighed fossil fuel initiatives, and they are being translated into real action," said Amy Kong, Senior Energy Transition Researcher at Zero Carbon Analytics.

"The Philippines, leading with the most clean policies, imported more than double the solar technology from China in the first five months of the war compared to the same period last year," she added.

Philippine measures included the proposed Sariling Kuryente Act, the fast-tracking of 250 megawatts of solar capacity, a requirement for new renewable projects to include storage, and steps to widen electric vehicle use. The Department of Energy confirmed the energisation in March of the first 250 MW of MTerra Solar's project along with 450 megawatt-hours of battery storage.

Manila also adopted nine fossil fuel policies, among them moves to accelerate up to 5 gigawatts of coal capacity and to create the country's first state-managed Strategic Petroleum Reserve, being developed by the energy department with Maharlika Investment Corp.

"The next test is whether these policy commitments translate into investment and actual projects on the ground," said Alnie Demoral, Energy Analyst at Ember.