FUTURE-PROOFING ILOILO’S GRID: MORE Power eyes next-gen grid upgrades at U.S. conference

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Philippine distribution utility MORE Electric and Power Corp., together with parent company Primelectric, is looking beyond traditional solutions as power systems worldwide undergo rapid change, company officials said during an ongoing U.S. trade conference.

Primelectric President and CEO Roel Z. Castro led the MORE Power–Primelectric delegation to the Distribution Technology Conference and Exhibit, or DTECH, in San Diego, California, a major transmission and distribution industry event scheduled Feb. 2–5, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center.

The Philippine delegation also included representatives from the Department of Energy, the Energy Regulatory Commission, and private distribution utilities from around the country, the company said.

“The delegation, hosted by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), attended the DTECH Conference which brought together electric utilities, regulators, and technology providers mostly from the United States of America to discuss how new technologies are reshaping power distribution systems—particularly at the local or “last-mile” level that directly serves households and businesses.”

“We are grateful to USTDA for inviting us to this conference and for allowing us to learn from global experiences,” Castro said. “This platform allows us to see how emerging technologies, policies, and regulations are coming together in more advanced power systems.”

Castro said the traditional one-way model of electricity delivery is shifting as customers adopt technologies that allow them to both consume and generate power.

“Customers are no longer just consumers of electricity,” he said. “They are becoming ‘prosumers’—people who both use and generate power, such as households with rooftop solar panels.”

Castro said these developments fall under Distributed Energy Resources, or DERs, including solar panels, battery storage systems, and electric vehicles that can either draw power from the grid or supply power back to it, creating new opportunities alongside technical and safety challenges.

“At the conference, we looked closely at how utilities integrate these resources into the distribution network while keeping the system reliable and safe,” Castro said. “Two-way power flows require new equipment, smarter monitoring, and updated safety standards.”

One of the conference’s central themes, Castro said, was how to maintain reliable electricity service as distribution networks become more complex, requiring advanced digital tools and modern equipment to monitor conditions in real time and prevent outages.

“Reliability and safety remain non-negotiable,” Castro emphasized. “New technologies must help us detect problems earlier, respond faster, and protect both our workers and our customers.”

Castro pointed to best practices discussed at DTECH, including improved protection systems, islanding measures designed to prevent solar systems from feeding power into lines during outages, and updated maintenance protocols suited for modern grids.

Beyond technology, the delegation also examined how U.S. policies and regulations are evolving to support distributed energy, including sessions on how regulators balance innovation with consumer protection and grid stability.

“There is a strong lesson here about alignment,” Castro said. “Technology cannot move forward without the right policies, and policies must be grounded in technical realities.”

Company officials said representatives from the Philippine DOE and ERC joined these discussions as the Philippines prepares for wider adoption of solar energy, electric vehicles, and other emerging technologies.

Castro also described economic opportunities tied to prosumers, including arrangements that allow homeowners with solar panels to sell excess electricity back to the grid and programs that reward businesses for adjusting energy use during peak hours.

“This changes how utilities think about pricing, billing, and customer engagement,” Castro said. “It’s no longer just about selling kilowatt-hours. It’s about enabling participation and creating value for everyone involved.”

A consistent message at the conference, Castro said, was the need for collaboration among utilities, regulators, and technology providers, including learning exchanges across countries.

“No single organization can do this alone,” Castro said. “Continuous learning, pilot projects, and shared experiences are essential if we want to modernize our power systems responsibly.”

Castro said MORE Power and Primelectric Holdings plan to bring the lessons back to the Philippines with a focus on building a distribution system that is safe, reliable, and ready for the future.

“The energy landscape is changing,” he said. “By learning early and adapting thoughtfully, we can ensure that our customers benefit from new technologies without compromising the quality of service they expect.”

MORE Power has positioned itself as a utility focused on upgrades and customer service improvements since taking over distribution operations in Iloilo City under Republic Act 11212, according to the company’s profile.