South Cotabato officials appealed anew to the national government to hasten the approval of the application for commercial operations of the 6.25-megawatt (MW) foreign-backed solar power plant in Surallah town.
South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said on Thursday that the local government is already “frustrated” with the continuing delay in the issuance by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) of the project approval, which is targeted to operate by next year.
“We’re hoping that the ERC will fast-track its approval as we really wanted this project to push through,” she said.
The governor recently met with officials and prospective investors of NV Vogt Philippines Solar Energy One, which is currently developing a solar power plant in Barangay Centrala in Surallah town.
Citing public demand, the provincial government had sent an official letter of appeal to the ERC to hasten the approval processes related to the project.
The appeal was signed by Fuentes, Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez of the Second District of South Cotabato and other local officials and stakeholders.
Fuentes said she personally followed up the case recently with officials of the ERC but was made to wait until the end of the month for their response.
“It’s quite difficult to attract this kind of big-ticket investment to our area and now that it’s here, we’re made to wait before it could take off and operate,” she said.
The governor said they “wish the national government would understand that it is more difficult to attract investors if we lack alternatives to answer the power crisis.”
NV Vogt’s ground-mounted and grid-connected solar power plant is being projected as the country’s biggest solar power plant once fully completed.
The company has proposed to construct a 12.5-MW solar power plant in the area through phased development.
NV Vogt earlier announced that the Armstrong Asset Management has committed to provide $29 million, or P1.3 billion at current exchange rates, to fund the construction of the first phase involving a 6.5-MW solar power plant.
PNA