The Negros Occidental provincial government is seeking to empower more communities and create further opportunities for its people through funding renewable energy (RE) initiatives.

RECreate Negros: Powering Negros through Community-owned Renewable Energy Investments was launched at the closing of the three-day Renewable Energy Week Expo 2026 at SMX Convention Center here over the weekend.

Eyed as beneficiaries are off-grid areas or geographically, isolated, disadvantaged areas as well as farming and fisherfolk communities.

In his message, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said RECreate Negros is “a presentation of a clear and purposeful direction for the kind of development” that Negros Occidental “aspires to pursue as a province”.

“The true measure of development is how these investments improve lives, strengthen communities, and create opportunities for our people. That is why the vision behind RECreate Negros is both timely and significant,” he said.

Lacson said RECreate Negros serves as a reminder that renewable energy should not only power facilities and systems, but also empower communities.

“It should support livelihoods, improve access to essential services, strengthen climate resiliencex and create meaningful participation among our people,” he added.

Former governor Rafael Coscolluela, provincial consultant on energy and environment concerns, said the province will formally implement RECreate Negros once the documentation is put in place.

“The program will bring renewable energy to the communities in need of power. This will probably launch a renewed demand for more solar PV (photovoltaic) systems in Negros Occidental,” he said.

Coscolluela said the implementation of RECreate Negros will require a counter-parting scheme among the provincial government, host local government units and target communities.

Among the partner implementors are the Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment and Negrosanon Young Leaders Institute Inc.

“We hope to put together an annual fund that will provide opportunities for local communities to avail of solar PV systems,” Coscolluela said.

He said they are looking into several applications presented during the final day of the Renewable Energy Week Expo 2026.

“We saw that given the opportunity, a lot of these communities will be able to benefit from the program of SeCURE Negros,” he added.

The province’s direction for achieving a sustainable, secure, and renewable energy future is outlined in the SecuRE Negros Roadmap or Negros Occidental Energy Sector Development Strategy and Action Plan.

Aside from RECreate Negros, the province also launched the Negros Occidental Energy Innovation Sprint to encourage academic institutions and young innovators to develop community-driven, future-ready energy solutions and the Be REady Roadshow to bring renewable energy education, awareness, and community engagement closer to local governments and communities across the province.

Data from the Department of Energy (DOE) show that Negros Occidental has renewable energy potential of 14,277.7 megawatts (MW).

These include wind at 12,396 MW; solar, 1,787 MW; and hydropower, 94.7 MW.

Assistant Director Ruby de Guzman of DOE Renewable Energy Management Bureau, in her keynote message, said “these are not just numbers” but also “represent jobs for communities, investments for local economies, stronger energy security, and a cleaner future for the next generation”.

The Renewable Energy Week Expo 2026 gathered local governments, national agencies, industry leaders, academic institutions, innovators, advocates, and communities with a shared goal of a cleaner, more sustainable, and energy-secure Negros Occidental. (PNA)