New solar plant in Nueva Ecija goes live, combines energy, crop production

Rizal Green Energy Corp. (RGEC) is set to start commercial operations of its 19.6-megawatt (MW) San Jose Solar Power Plant (SJSPP) in Nueva Ecija on Aug. 1, 2025.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) issued the facility’s provisional authority to operate (PAO) on July 23, 2025, following approval on July 15, 2025.

This was followed by the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines’ approval on July 28, 2025, for the facility’s participation in the electricity spot market as a commercial generator.

“The SJSPP marks our second utility-scale solar power facility to reach commercial operations this year, following the commercial launch of the 27.1 MW Dagohoy Solar Power Plant (DSPP) in Bohol on July 16, 2025,” said Maria Victoria Olivar, vice president for commercial operations and business development at PetroGreen Energy Corp., the parent company of RGEC.

“It is also PGEC’s third renewable energy facility to go commercial in 2025, beginning with our 3.002 MW peak solar rooftop installation at Isuzu Autoparts manufacturing plant in Laguna Technopark, which went live on July 7, 2025,” Olivar said.

The commercial operations date will also mark the commencement of SJSPP’s power supply agreement with SN Aboitiz Power Corp.

Both the DSPP and SJSPP are part of a four-plant solar portfolio developed under RGEC, a joint venture between Yuchengco-led PGEC and Japan’s Taisei Corporation.

Two other RGEC projects, the 40-MW Limbauan Solar Plant in Isabela and the 25-MW Bugallon Solar Plant in Pangasinan, are slated for physical completion in 2025.

According to PGEC, SJSPP incorporates an agrivoltaics component, a dual land-use strategy that combines solar energy generation with agricultural production.

This feature allows for crop cultivation beneath and around the solar panels, promoting food and energy security, optimizing land use and reinforcing PGEC’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development.