Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC)’s 800 megawatts (MW) worth of renewable energy (RE) initiatives have been considered as ‘energy projects of national significance’ by the Department of Energy (DOE).
“The recognition of our 13 projects underscores the importance placed by the government in the swift completion of RE projects, which are typically affected by challenges in securing permits and clearances,” said CREC President and CEO Oliver Tan.
The developments consist of 430 megawatt alternative current (MWac) of ground-mounted solar projects and 362 MWac of onshore wind farms, strategically located in key provinces like Pangasinan, Bataan, Pampanga, Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.
Furthermore, CREC’s green energy auction program (GEAP) 2 projects are part of the firm’s goal of constructing five gigawatts (GW) of clean energy capacity in five years.
“We thank the DOE for acknowledging the criticality of RE to the country’s energy security and urge other government agencies to support our country’s renewable energy targets,” added Tan.
The DOE recognized 13 projects under the GEAP-2 initiative last July 2023 through the issuance of Certificate of Energy Projects of National Significance (CEPNS)
CEPNS, introduced through Executive Order 30 in 2017, facilitates faster regulatory approvals for energy projects crucial to the country’s development.
It ensures that applications are processed within 30 days and mandates automatic approval if no decision is made within five working days after this period.
