PMCJ to NGCP: Align TDP to Philippines 2030 RE Targets; Uprate Grids with huge RE in the pipeline

Media Communications
3 days ago
2 min read

Quezon City, Philippines — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) says they’re ready, but in need of 10,260 MW supply and not enough power plants in the right places. The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) says it is the NGCP’s transmission capacities that are not in the right places. It is not in support of the Philippines' 35% RE target by 2030 since the Transmission Development Plan (TDP) is not prioritizing grids with huge RE in the pipeline.

NGCP is prioritizing non-renewable energy projects. The NGCP’s TDP Report as of May 2025 cited that committed projects are excluded from 14 connection points from the available transmission capacity in 2025. This would mean limiting the chances of 2025 committed projects from being connected to the grid.

The list includes the 69-kilovolt Labo sub-station in Camarines Norte, which could accommodate 70 megawatts (MW) of additional capacity. Currently, this is the only station available as a connection point for energy projects in the Bicol region. Renewable energy projects in the pipeline for the region are estimated to reach 10 gigawatts (GW), and these might end up being stranded or a cause of the delay if the current infrastructure is not upgraded.

Moreover, NGCP acknowledged the considerable challenge of integrating huge RE capacities, citing transmission constraints and grid congestion, among others. Critics have been saying that transmission should adjust and not saturate connection points. As the current administration claims to prioritize clean energy, NGCP should recognize that RE sources are site-specific.

From these facts, there is limited room for connecting committed RE capacities to available transmission points. This raises the question: Which projects are the available transmission capacities reserved for?

PMCJ challenges NGCP to immediately implement identified solutions, including grid modernization and grid infrastructure enhancement to facilitate the absorption of RE capacities in the pipeline and ensure the rapid transition from coal and other fossil-based power sources.

In its TDP report, NGCP has identified these action points, along with flexible power generation, advanced grid technologies, and energy storage systems. These should be implemented primarily in areas where there is a huge RE potential, such as in the Bicol region, which has the capacity to harness more than 10 GW of RE to facilitate the country’s rapid shift to clean energy technologies.

As of March 2025, the DOE listed a total of 11,684 MW of RE committed capacities in the pipeline. These projects could erase the 10,260 MW in available transmission capacity that NGCP is calling for if the transmission capacity is aligned with renewable energy development.

As the country’s grid operator and mandated to implement inclusive stakeholder participation in the transmission development planning, NGCP should exercise complete transparency and provide correct information to the public. After all, consumers mainly bear the brunt of rising electricity prices, among other challenges being faced by the industry. ###

#PrioritizeRenewableEnergyNow #NGCP #EndFossilFuels #ClimateJusticeNow