ERC clears grid link for Isabela solar

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has cleared the development of a dedicated transmission facility for a 33.831-megawatt peak solar project in Isabela, providing the plant with the infrastructure needed to deliver renewable power to the Luzon grid.

In a Monday disclosure, PetroEnergy Resources Corp. said the ERC granted BKS Green Energy Corp. (BKSGEC) authority to develop and own a point-to-point transmission facility serving the Limbauan Solar Power Project Phase 2 in San Pablo, Isabela.

The approval provides the solar facility with a dedicated connection to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines' (NGCP) transmission network, an important requirement as more renewable energy projects are built and seek access to the country's power grid.

The facility will consist of a 13.2/69-kilovolt take-off substation with a 30/32-megavolt ampere transformer and related protection and telecommunications equipment.

It will also include a 4.4-kilometer single-circuit 69-kV transmission line and a 69-kV switching station that will tap NGCP's 69-kV Tuguegarao-Cabagan transmission line.

The Limbauan solar project is among the renewable energy developments awarded a long-term fixed tariff under the Department of Energy's second Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP-2).

The government uses the auction program to contract additional renewable energy capacity as the Philippines seeks to increase the share of cleaner sources in its power generation mix.

Since it began exporting electricity in December 2025, the Limbauan project has generated 40,500 megawatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to the cumulative power requirements of about 200,000 households.

The project has also avoided an estimated 28,232 tons of carbon emissions.

During its construction in 2025, the project trained and contracted as many as 650 workers, including laborers, skilled technicians, engineers, and other professionals, mostly from San Pablo and surrounding municipalities in Isabela.

BKSGEC is a wholly owned subsidiary and operating unit of Rizal Green Energy Corp., a joint venture between PetroGreen Energy Corp. and Japan's Taisei Corp.