The Supreme Court has issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) halting the expropriation and construction of a portion of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) Hermosa-San Jose 500 kilovolt (kV) Line.
The grid operator is seeking the cooperation of Phirst Park Homes, Inc. (PPHI), as their section of the project is located on the property of the real estate firm. Although the transmission line was already activated in May 2023, the project will need to pause its remaining works due to the order.
“Regrettably, it appears that the petition filed by PPHI is merely one of its tactics to obstruct NGCP from finalizing the project, despite numerous rounds of negotiations and proposed out-of-court settlements between the involved parties,” said NGCP.
As of February 2024, the negotiations are still ongoing, with the NGCP having to request support from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to progress the construction activities.
“NGCP made it clear to PPH that the HSJ is an Energy Project of National Significance (EPNS), and its completion and energization are critical to prevent Luzon-wide power interruptions. NGCP has repeatedly expressed its willingness to negotiate further,” said the corporation.
Only 25% of the intended 8,000 MW capacity of Lines 1 and 2 could be achieved by the Hermosa-San Jose Transmission Line, which currently possesses a transfer capacity of 2,000 MW.