Marcos: PH serious on nuclear energy amid future power demands of AI, data centers

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that he is serious about his plans to establish nuclear power in the country in preparation for the anticipated high power demand of data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) centers set to operate in the Philippines.

“We're serious about nuclear power because even as we stand now, we're okay in terms of power generation for the Philippines, but everybody knows that what's coming down the road is our data centers, is AI,” Marcos said.

“And I think everybody by now knows that the demand for power is going to increase at a very, very high rate, and if we are to be part and we want to be part of the value chain for AI, for the digital economy, we have to produce enough power to support it,” he added.

In July, Marcos announced that the US-led Pax Silica Industrial Hub for an AI supply chain is eyed to provide Filipinos with quality jobs. It is planned to be established in New Clark City in Tarlac.

However, the project received public criticism and concerns, especially for its anticipated daily power consumption of up to 3 gigawatts or 3 million kilowatts.

The President noted that nuclear energy is a viable option for the country, citing the reliability of power generators that do not heavily rely on oil, which has remained stable amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“So yes, nuclear is one of the options that we have available to us that we are looking at very, very close to go along with... Because ang experience natin is very clear. It cannot be clearer,” Marcos said.

“Noong pumutok ang giyera sa Middle East at nagkagulo na ‘yung supply ng oil at saka presyo ng oil, ang hindi gumalaw yung 30% na production natin na galing sa local gas, hydro, solar, wind, biomass. Lahat ‘yan, hindi talaga gumalaw. And for a day or two, that's what we were depending on before we were able to secure supplies,” he added.

(When the war broke out in the Middle East and oil supply and prices went into turmoil, our 30% production from local gas, hydro, solar, wind, and biomass didn't fluctuate. All of those remained completely stable. And for a day or two, that's what we were depending on before we were able to secure supplies.)

On Saturday, the President expressed disappointment over the government’s decision to mothball the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the late 1980s, which was built during his late father’s administration.

Marcos made the remarks during his visit to the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute.

Work on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in 1976 in response to rising energy prices. However, it never generated electricity after being mothballed following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

In 2025, Marcos signed into law a bill creating an independent agency that will oversee the safe use of nuclear energy and radiation sources in the country. —RF, GMA News