The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is set to act on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) long-pending capital expenditure (CapEx) applications within the month, underscoring the urgency of addressing critical transmission projects needed to ease power bottlenecks, the Daily Tribune reports.

“Most likely within a month, we’ll already discuss and approve the remaining CapEx that were not included in the fourth, some were included in the fifth, but if there will be a need for us to issue a decision on these pending CapEx projects so NGCP can already start them then we will do that,” ERC chairperson Francis Saturnino C. Juan said.

The Department of Energy (DoE) has formally flagged certain NGCP projects as urgent, prompting the ERC to speed up its review process. “We have also received a letter from the DOE on these critical CapEx projects of NGCP that need the attention of ERC. So that’s why we’re prioritizing also,” Juan added.

Industry watchers note that NGCP’s project delays have hampered the timely integration of new power plants and slowed efforts to resolve transmission constraints across the grid. The company, which operates the country’s transmission system under a 25-year franchise, has faced increasing scrutiny for lagging in its commitments.

To reinforce public confidence, Juan emphasized that ERC’s deliberations are conducted openly. “Our commission meetings are streamed live for the public,” he said, pointing to transparency as a key part of the regulatory process.

Beyond the NGCP approvals, the ERC is also shifting attention to persistent power supply issues in off-grid areas, where reliance on small diesel generators and independent producers continues to burden consumers with high generation costs. 

What’s your view? How will ERC’s fast-tracking of NGCP’s CapEx affect transmission reliability and power costs in your area of the industry? Share your perspective with us.

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