The Philippines’ push toward renewable energy continues to gather pace, with Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC) switching on a major new solar facility in Pangasinan. The company has officially energized its 125-megawatt-peak (MWp) Citicore Solar Pangasinan project, located across the municipalities of Sta. Barbara and Calasiao.
The commissioning marks another milestone not just for the company, but for the country’s broader transition toward cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. It comes at a time when the Philippines is actively working to strengthen its domestic energy capacity and reduce its reliance on imported fuels.
For Citicore, the project represents both continuity and scale. It builds on a growing pipeline of renewable developments while reinforcing the company’s role in delivering large-scale infrastructure aligned with national energy goals.
At the same time, the project reflects a wider trend across Southeast Asia, where solar energy is increasingly being deployed at scale to meet rising electricity demand while addressing climate concerns.
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Delivering Clean Power at Scale
At the core of the Pangasinan project is its capacity to deliver substantial amounts of clean electricity. The facility is expected to generate approximately 202 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually, a level of output that can supply between 90,000 and 100,000 households.
This scale of generation highlights the growing role of utility-scale solar in national energy systems. As electricity demand continues to rise—driven by population growth, urbanization, and economic activity—projects like this provide a viable pathway to meeting that demand without increasing carbon emissions.
Equally important is the project’s environmental impact. By displacing fossil fuel-based power generation, the facility is projected to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 120,000 metric tons each year. This contribution, while tied to a single project, forms part of a cumulative effort to lower the country’s overall emissions profile.
In this sense, the Pangasinan solar plant is not just an energy asset—it is also a climate intervention, contributing directly to emissions reduction targets while supporting long-term sustainability.
Engineering for Local Conditions
One of the most notable aspects of the project is its elevated solar panel design, an engineering approach specifically developed to address local environmental challenges.
Flooding is a recurring concern in many parts of the Philippines, and infrastructure projects must account for this reality. By elevating the solar panels, Citicore has introduced a layer of protection that helps safeguard critical components from water damage.
Beyond flood mitigation, the design also improves airflow and drainage around the panels. This contributes to more stable performance, particularly during adverse weather conditions, and reduces the risk of operational disruptions.
This kind of design thinking reflects an evolving approach to renewable energy development—one that prioritizes resilience alongside efficiency. Rather than simply installing standard systems, developers are increasingly tailoring solutions to local conditions, ensuring that infrastructure can withstand the realities of climate variability.
As CREC President and CEO Oliver Tan emphasized, the goal is not only to deliver clean energy, but to do so in a way that is durable and responsive to external risks.
Integrating Agriculture Through AgroSolar
Beyond energy generation, the Pangasinan project introduces an additional layer of value through Citicore’s AgroSolar initiative. This approach allows agricultural activities to take place on the same land used for solar power generation.
Under this model, crops can be cultivated beneath and between solar panels, enabling dual land use. For local communities, this means that farmland remains productive even as it contributes to clean energy generation.
The benefits are both practical and strategic. Farmers can continue their livelihoods, land use efficiency is maximized, and food production is maintained. At the same time, the energy project proceeds without displacing agricultural activity—a common concern in large-scale infrastructure development.
This integration of agriculture and energy reflects a broader shift toward more inclusive project design, where renewable energy developments are structured to deliver multiple benefits rather than serving a single purpose.
Policy Mechanisms Enabling Deployment
The Pangasinan solar facility operates under a long-term offtake agreement secured through the government’s Green Energy Auction Program Round 2 (GEAP-2). This program plays a central role in accelerating renewable energy deployment across the Philippines.
By providing developers with long-term contracts, GEAP-2 reduces revenue uncertainty and makes it easier to finance large-scale projects. This kind of policy support is critical in enabling private sector participation, particularly in capital-intensive industries like energy.
The success of the Pangasinan project illustrates how policy and private investment can work together to deliver tangible outcomes. It also reinforces the importance of stable and predictable frameworks in driving the energy transition forward.
Reducing Dependence on Imported Fuels
The commissioning of new renewable energy capacity comes at a critical time for the Philippines, which has long relied on imported fuels to meet its energy needs.
Global energy markets have become increasingly volatile, with price fluctuations and supply disruptions posing risks to countries that depend heavily on imports. In this context, expanding domestic renewable energy capacity is not just an environmental priority—it is also a matter of energy security.
By generating electricity locally from renewable sources, projects like Citicore Solar Pangasinan help reduce exposure to external shocks. They also contribute to a more stable and predictable energy system, which is essential for economic planning and growth.
The government’s targets—to increase renewable energy’s share to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040—underscore the scale of transformation underway. Achieving these goals will require sustained investment, consistent policy support, and continued project execution.
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Building Momentum Across Citicore’s Portfolio
The Pangasinan project forms part of a broader and steadily advancing expansion strategy by Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation, which continues to scale up its renewable energy footprint across the Philippines. Rather than focusing on isolated developments, the company is building a pipeline of interconnected projects that collectively contribute to the country’s growing clean energy capacity.
To date, Citicore has already energized more than half of its commitments under the Green Energy Auction Program Round 2 (GEAP-2), reflecting both execution capability and alignment with national policy frameworks. The company is now moving toward completing the remaining projects, with several developments underway in Pangasinan, Batangas, and Quezon. These projects are expected to come online in the coming months, further expanding the company’s operational capacity and reinforcing its role in the country’s renewable energy transition.
This steady rollout highlights a structured and phased approach to growth. Each project builds on the operational, technical, and logistical experience gained from previous ones, allowing for improved efficiency and execution over time. It also reflects increasing confidence within the sector, as developers demonstrate their ability to deliver large-scale energy infrastructure within relatively compressed timelines.
The recent energization of the 69MWp Citicore Solar Negros Occidental 2 facility further underscores this momentum. By adding capacity during periods of peak demand—particularly in the summer season—the project contributes to grid stability while reinforcing the reliability of renewable energy as a dependable power source.
Taken together, these developments signal not just growth in volume, but maturation in execution, as renewable energy projects transition from isolated investments into a coordinated and expanding national portfolio.
Economic Impact at the Community Level
Beyond its contribution to energy generation and emissions reduction, the Pangasinan solar project has delivered tangible economic benefits at the local level, illustrating the broader value of renewable energy investments.
During the construction phase, the project generated close to 1,000 jobs, providing employment opportunities for residents in surrounding communities. This influx of jobs created immediate economic activity, supporting households and local businesses while injecting income into the regional economy.
The impact of these opportunities extends beyond short-term employment. Construction projects of this scale often involve a wide range of roles—from technical and engineering positions to logistics and support services—allowing for skills development and workforce participation across different segments of the community.
Looking ahead, the benefits are expected to continue into the operational phase. Citicore has indicated that ongoing operations will prioritize sourcing talent locally, ensuring that employment opportunities remain within the community even after construction is complete. This continuity helps create a more sustained economic impact, rather than a temporary boost tied solely to the development phase.
In this way, the Pangasinan project reflects how renewable energy infrastructure can serve as a catalyst for local development. By combining long-term employment, skills transfer, and increased economic activity, such projects contribute to community resilience while supporting national energy objectives.
Strengthening Pangasinan’s Role in Renewable Energy
The addition of the Citicore Solar Pangasinan facility is further reinforcing the province’s emergence as a key hub for renewable energy development in Northern Luzon. As more projects are concentrated within the region, Pangasinan is gradually becoming an important node in the country’s evolving energy landscape.
This growing concentration of renewable energy infrastructure creates several advantages. It encourages the development of shared infrastructure, such as transmission connections and support facilities, which can improve efficiency and reduce overall project costs. At the same time, it fosters knowledge sharing and collaboration among developers, local authorities, and communities involved in the sector.
Investment flows into the region are also likely to increase as more projects are established, further strengthening Pangasinan’s position within the renewable energy ecosystem. Over time, this clustering effect can accelerate development by attracting additional stakeholders, including suppliers, service providers, and technical expertise.
As new facilities come online and existing ones operate at scale, Pangasinan’s contribution to the national energy mix is expected to grow. Beyond simply generating electricity, the province is playing a role in advancing the Philippines’ broader transition toward a more sustainable, resilient, and locally driven energy system.
In this context, the Citicore Solar Pangasinan project is not just a standalone development—it is part of a larger shift that is gradually redefining how and where energy is produced in the country.
Outlook: Sustaining Momentum in the Energy Transition
The energization of the Pangasinan solar project underscores the steady progress being made in the Philippines’ renewable energy transition. It reflects a combination of policy support, private sector investment, and community engagement—all working together to deliver tangible results.
In the near term, the focus will likely remain on completing projects already in the pipeline and ensuring that newly commissioned facilities operate efficiently. Maintaining this momentum will be essential in meeting the country’s renewable energy targets.
At the same time, innovations such as elevated solar designs and AgroSolar integration point to a more adaptive and locally responsive approach to energy development. These features not only improve resilience but also enhance the overall value of renewable projects.
Looking ahead, continued alignment between government initiatives and private sector execution will be key. If this alignment is sustained, the Philippines is well positioned to expand its renewable energy capacity while strengthening energy security and supporting long-term sustainability goals.
Ultimately, projects like Citicore Solar Pangasinan demonstrate how the energy transition is unfolding on the ground—not just through targets and policies, but through infrastructure that delivers real, measurable impact.
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