The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has granted provisional authority for SUWECO Tablas Energy Corporation (STEC) to operate a new power plant in San Agustin, Romblon, boosting electricity supply for Tablas Island amid fast-rising demand.

Tablas Island Electric Cooperative (TIELCO) General Manager Dennis Alag announced the development during the Kapihan sa PIA Romblon on August 26, reports the Philippine Information Agency.

“At present, our peak demand has already reached 12 megawatts, which is far above the approved 9.375 megawatts,” Alag said. TIELCO and STEC have filed a request with the ERC to raise the contracted capacity to 13.7 MW.

The San Agustin facility, designed to deliver 5.3 MW to TIELCO, is slated for formal inauguration by the second week of September. Alag noted the plant is essential to sustaining reliable power for residential and commercial users across the island.

Expansion is already on the horizon, with similar plants planned in Alcantara and Santa Fe for completion before end-2026.

As of July 2025, TIELCO reported 54,343 households connected to the grid. Based on Philippine Statistics Authority data, the island has 56,942 electrifiable households. Alag said government and cooperative efforts aim to close the gap entirely by 2028.

With demand already overshooting capacity, stakeholders see the San Agustin plant as a critical buffer to ensure stable supply for the province’s growing energy needs.

Will the San Agustin project and upcoming plants be enough to secure Tablas Island’s long-term energy stability?  

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Photo credit: PIA