Energy leaders urge early action on Green Lane certificates

Energy leaders are urging renewable energy developers to apply early for Green Lane certification amid ongoing discussions that application rules may soon change.

Speaking during the panel “Whole-of-Nation Call to Action to Just Transition to Clean and Renewable Energy: Achieving More than 50% RE Share by 2050” at the 3rd Renewable Energy Conference, officials from the Department of Energy (DOE), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Board of Investments (BOI), and industry groups emphasized the advantages of securing certification while requirements remain flexible.

DOE Director III Ruby B. De Guzman advised companies to act swiftly, saying, “Grab the chance to get the Green Lane accreditation. Once you do it later, the alignment … may come sooner, and there may be something like an investment gap. So apply now.”

Green Lane certification, established under Executive Order No. 18, streamlines the permitting process by requiring government agencies, including local governments, to expedite action on accredited projects.

The certificate is intended to help developers avoid the bureaucratic delays that have historically slowed renewable energy deployment.

Ongoing policy discussions may result in the Green Lane being aligned with the DOE’s Certificate of Energy Project of National Significance (CEPNS), which has additional requirements, including a PHP 3.5 billion investment threshold.

The appeal for early applications comes as the DOE prepares for the next round of the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) in September.

Despite a high number of registrants, DOE data show that only around 40% of projects have received System Impact Study (SIS) approvals, a prerequisite for building generation facilities.

The SIS evaluates how a proposed power plant will connect to the grid and identifies any necessary reinforcements, making it a critical step before developers can proceed from planning to construction.

NGCP Planning Standards and Studies Special Supervisor Ryan Jayson Bragais said the company has cut SIS processing time from one year to about 60 days and has expanded its team to manage more than 200 pending applications.

“We understand the government is very aggressive. It’s a high target — 50% by 2030 — so we have to move,” Bragais said.

Ruth Yu-Owen, co-chairperson of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), cited a project that waited a year for a local government unit’s endorsement.

She said such delays underscore why developers should not hesitate to pursue Green Lane certification, which can help overcome procedural bottlenecks.

BOI Chief Investment Specialist Rose Marie O. Mendoza said the DOE and BOI are in talks to potentially merge CEPNS and Green Lane into a single certification to simplify the investment process.

Although no formal policy has been adopted, panelists widely agreed that consolidating the certifications could reduce redundancy and help accelerate both government approvals and private-sector execution.