Renewable projects make up eight out of 11 power projects lined up by the Department of Energy (DOE) set to generate around 2, 000 megawatts (MW) of additional capacity for grid impact studies.

Five are hydropower plants: the 300 MW Bolusao pumped storage of San Lorenzo Ruiz Samar in Lawaan, Eastern Samar; the 150 MW Chico hydroelectric power project in Tabuk, Kalinga; the 140 MW Davao hydroelectric project; and the 100 MW and 50 MW Wawa pumped storage 2 hydroelectric power plant in Rodriguez, Rizal.

Solar projects part of the list are the 15-MW Bogo 3 solar power plant of Sun Premier Philippine Corp in Cebu and Sunpalo Solar Energy Inc.’s 100-MW solar power plant in San Miguel Leyte.

There are only three traditional plants in DOE’s list: SMC Global Power Holdings Inc.’s 600 MW coal – fired thermal power plant in Sariaya, Quezon; Masinloc Power partners Ltd.’s 344 MW subcritical coal-fired power plant in Zambales, and the Phinma Energy Corp.’s 64 MW Power Barge 103 in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

The GIS determines where the electricity generated by power projects can be absorbed by the grid.

To date, the DOE has granted GIS clearance to 78 power projects.