New Isabela solar plant buffers power amid oil spike

BKS Green Energy Corp. (BKSGEC), a subsidiary of Yuchengco-led Rizal Green Energy Corp. (RGEC), switched on its 40-megawatt Limbauan Solar Power Plant (LSPP) to help stabilize power supply amid rising global oil prices.

RGEC is a joint venture of PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC) and Japan’s Taisei Corp.

“The current Middle East conflict highlights once more the absolute necessity of securing our country’s energy supply and reducing our dependence on imported energy sources,” PGEC President & CEO Francisco G. Delfin, Jr. said on Wednesday.

“The switch-on of this solar power facility, among the first utility-scale solar plants in Isabela province, is thus very timely,” he added.

The LSPP has two phases: a 6-MW facility embedded in the Isabela Electric Cooperative II network and a 34-MW facility connected to the National Grid via a 4.73-kilometer transmission line.

Phase 2 was a winning project in the government’s Second Green Energy Auction.

When fully operational, the facility will generate about 59 gigawatt-hours of clean energy annually, enough to power 33,000 households and cut an estimated 31,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

It uses 52,640 solar panels supplied by Trina Solar and created 500–600 jobs at the height of construction, boosting local economic activity and skills development.

Meanwhile, Renewable Energy Management Bureau Director Marissa P. Cerezo said renewables are essential for energy security.

She noted that geopolitical tensions can disrupt energy markets and push up fuel prices, making projects like the Limbauan solar power facility crucial for reducing dependence on fossil fuels and strengthening the country’s energy resilience.

“The DOE Secretary has also issued the directive that renewable energy projects scheduled for completion this year must be completed in advance to ensure that our economy continues to grow without being at the mercy of global crises,” she said.