The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on Tuesday said it has approved the application of Citicore Solar Pangasinan 2 Inc. to connect its solar facilities in Binalonan, Pangasinan to the country‘s power grid.
Citicore Solar Pangasinan 2 will build transmission facilities and connect its 80.1-megawatt alternating current (MWac) Binalonan solar power project to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines’ 69 kilovolt (kV) San Manuel substation.
Estimated cost of the facilities is P166.1 million, but was adjusted to P286.2 million to include the cost of power transformers.
The project is a renewable energy initiative that aims to meet rising demand, secure 20-year government contracts (via Green Energy Auction-2), and align with Citicore Renewable Energy Corp.‘s target of adding 1 gigawatt of solar capacity annually.
An ocular inspection on August 11, 2025 showed construction of the project was ongoing and 30 percent complete.
The ERC reiterated that, despite approval, all power generation companies and grid users with similar projects must first obtain an authorization before proceeding with construction.
This is to ensure coordinated system planning and maintaining the integrity and security of the electricity grid, while preventing the unchecked increase of unauthorized facilities that may compromise the system‘s reliability.