BCDA is moving to line up the two utilities most likely to decide whether New Clark City can attract real investment: cheaper power and faster digital infrastructure.
BCDA Signs Power and Fiber Studies for New Clark City
The state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority said it has signed nonbinding agreements to study a 40-megawatt LNG-fired power plant and a shared underground ICT network for the 9,450-hectare planned metropolis in Tarlac, as it tries to prepare the site for future business growth and foreign capital.
Sentiment Indicators
The power study, signed with Malaysia’s Blue Vista Berhad and US-based Westfield Resources LLC, will examine technical and commercial feasibility, environmental and regulatory hurdles, financing and LNG logistics, as well as links to the grid. BCDA said the project is intended to replace diesel generation with a lower-emission fuel and provide more reliable power off-grid, a critical factor for industrial tenants, data centers and large facilities that need uninterrupted supply.
Westfield Resources chief executive Neil Gonzales said the plant could become a template for similar developments elsewhere in the Philippines. For BCDA, the appeal is broader: if the site can secure stable power without relying entirely on the main grid, it becomes easier to market New Clark City as a resilient alternative to Metro Manila for manufacturers and energy-intensive users.
The second agreement, with ComClark Network and Technology Corp., the parent of Converge ICT, targets shared underground fiber infrastructure for government offices, factories, data centers and artificial intelligence operations. ComClark chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy said high-speed fiber is the “essential bedrock” for AI deployments, underscoring how digital connectivity is becoming a core part of economic-zone competition rather than just a support service.
The projects remain exploratory, with implementation contingent on feasibility results, approvals and final contracts. But they fit the government’s push to build more resilient growth hubs outside the capital, strengthen energy security and lure investment along the Luzon Economic Corridor.
For investors, the story is less about the studies themselves than what they suggest: New Clark City is trying to solve the two biggest bottlenecks for new industrial real estate in one shot, while BCDA is signaling that it wants the site to compete for higher-value tenants, not just land sales. The next catalyst is whether either study leads to firm commitments, funding and permits.
| Entity | Gains | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| BCDA / New Clark City | ▲Better investment case | ▼Execution and approval risk |
| Blue Vista / Westfield | ▲Potential project pipeline | ▼Capital tied to feasibility |
| ComClark / Converge ICT | ▲Fiber-infrastructure opportunity | ▼Upfront survey and build costs |
| Future tenants / AI operators | ▲More reliable power and connectivity | ▼Diesel reliance and grid constraints |
