THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said it has approved two power transmission projects to increase stability in the grid and provide electricity to underserved areas.
In a decision released late Tuesday, the regulator signed Power Beacon Renewable Solutions’ application to develop and own point-to-point transmission facilities to connect its 4.150-megawatt (MW) Dipalo hydroelectric power project in Pangasinan through the 69-kilovolt (kV) Nagsaag-Umingan transmission line of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).
The facilities are composed of one take-off substation, including protection and telecommunication equipment, a 5.5-kilometer (km) single circuit 69-kV line, and a switching station.
The project costs P79 million, the ERC said.
However, it noted in its report that, based on ocular inspection, construction of the facilities was completed on June 30, 2025 — which was before Power Beacon applied for approval.
The ERC thus reminded all power generation companies and grid users intending to undertake similar projects must first obtain prior authority before proceeding with development and construction.
The second to be approved was the NGCP’s application for its Claver-Siargao Interconnection Project in Surigao del Norte.
In a decision announced also on Tuesday, the ERC said the grid expansion and reliability project consists of the construction of a new 69-kV interconnection facility from the NGCP’s Cagdianao Line to Siargao Island.
The project includes a 42-km submarine cable with a 58 megavolt-amperes (MVA) capacity linking two new switching stations, one in Claver, and one in Dapa, Siargao Island.
The project costs P12 billion and is scheduled for completion in June 2030.
