{
  "id": 3546718,
  "title": "System loss, electric cooperatives, RES and nuclear power",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/system-loss-electric-cooperatives-res-and-nuclear-power",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-26T16:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Philippine Star Business",
    "slug": "philippine-star-business",
    "url": "https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/08/27/2552005/system-loss-electric-cooperatives-res-and-nuclear-power"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "System loss (SL) in electricity arises from technical losses due to physics and non-technical losses caused by theft and fraud. In the Philippines, private and corporate distribution utilities have lower SL, around 5%, while electric cooperatives (ECs) nationwide experience an average of 10.5% SL. Technical losses account for 99% of SL under Meralco, while non-technical losses make up about 1%, while ECs see non-technical losses at about 4% of the total SL. No country in the world has zero SL, as it primarily stems from physics. Electricity output losses across various countries in 2024 are 5.3% (US), 4.2% (Canada), 5.1% (Germany), 7.1% (Italy), 6.6% (France), 8.3% (Spain), and 9.9% (UK). In Asia, SL percentages in 2024 are 4.9% (Japan) and 3.3% (South Korea). In 2023, SL percentages in selected countries were: Indonesia (6.5%), Vietnam (6.6%), Malaysia (6.9%), Thailand (7.2%), Philippines (10.0%), and Cambodia (11.6), according to World Bank data. The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to allocate P7.5 billion in taxpayers' funds to aid ECs in reducing non-technical SL. This may reward inefficient ECs with additional financial support. ECs enjoy political protection through the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and their party-list representatives in Congress and local governments. ECs lack financial incentives for efficiency due to such protection. ECs should be treated as corporations under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rather than the NEA and not receive any taxpayer subsidies or bailout. To lower electricity prices in the Philippines, expanding power generation, increasing retail competition, and investing in efficient transmission and grid management are suggested. Additionally, nuclear energy should be considered as part of the energy mix.",
  "summary": "System loss in electricity comes from technical losses or due to physics and from non-technical losses or due to thefts and cheats. In the Philippines, those under private and corporate distribution utilities have lower SL – only about five percent under Meralco – and an average of 10.5 percent under electric cooperatives nationwide.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}