^{Photo credit: Palawan Daily News}

Following its November proposal for a 15-megawatt (MW) coal-biomass circulating fluidized bed (CFB) plant in Palawan, DMCI Power Corporation (DPC) has received regulatory approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to develop and own the point-to-point facilities connecting the plant to the National Power Corporation’s (NPC) 69-kilovolt Narra transmission line.

The ERC decision, promulgated on December 12, allows DPC to own the connection assets but leaves system operation in off-grid areas under NPC and the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) to ensure grid reliability.

The ruling covers the infrastructure needed to link the 15-MW Narra plant—proposed as part of DPC’s Phase 2 expansion—to the Palawan Small Grid through a cut-in between the Brooke’s Point and Narra substations. ERC clarified that while dedicated point-to-point facilities serving the generating facility may be owned by DPC, assets considered part of the small grid, including the 69-kV Narra Switching Station, must be turned over to NPC/TransCo.

DPC’s proposed coal-biomass plant, which received a Certificate of Energy Project of National Significance in August and an exemption from the national coal moratorium in May, is designed to co-fire coal and biomass for more efficient, lower-emission generation. Once operational, it is expected to bolster electricity supply for Palawan’s off-grid areas and support the local electric cooperatives in meeting growing demand.

The ERC also imposed a permit fee of PHP 755,063.82 for the project, valued at roughly PHP 100.7 million, reiterating that prior regulatory approval is mandatory before constructing similar facilities.

How this latest ERC approval affects the timeline and deployment of DMCI Power’s 15-MW coal-biomass project remains a key question for off-grid electrification in Palawan.

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Originally scheduled for December 15, 2025; published today due to temporary site downtime