Citicore seeks review of solar FIT awards

July 3, 2016 9:28 pm  by Voltaire Palaña

http://www.manilatimes.net/citicore-seeks-review-of-solar-fit-awards/271488/

Renewable energy (RE) company Citicore Power Inc. (CPI) is optimistic that new Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi and his team will review the department’s compliance with rules in the latest issuance of the feed-in-tariff (FIT) list for solar projects.

CPI expressed support for newly installed President Rodrigo Duterte, and applauded his marching order to government officials and agencies to respect and adhere to existing government rules.

In his inaugural address, the President Duterte ordered “all department secretaries and heads of agencies to refrain from changing and bending the rules on government contracts, transactions and projects…. Changing the rules when the game is on-going is wrong.”

“Most participating RE firms are still in the dark on the DOE’s procedures and their basis for awarding the FIT. Some industry players question how the list of awardees was finalized despite several inquiries seeking to clarify the evaluation process being left unanswered,” CPI Executive Vice-President Manolo Candelaria said.

“Issues have also been raised about the definition of important terms and reckoning dates that affect participants who did and did not make the cut within the deadline,” he said.

According to Candelaria, DOE Circular No. 2013-05-0009 clearly sets forth the parameters in awarding the FIT that all participants should follow. “That circular should not be open to interpretation much less changed while the game is already ongoing. All participants entered the FIT race on the basis of that circular. While we know that there will be winners and losers in the race for the FIT, it should be made clear how the winners were chosen, for the benefit of everyone who participated.”

Citicore has reportedly not yet been approved for FIT by the DOE.

“Our documents, including certifications and permits, as well as the records of hourly dispatch of solar power plants from the Market Operator’s website (accessible to the public), will clearly show that we commissioned and dispatched before the deadline, well ahead of other participants that have been approved to get the subsidy,” Candelaria said.
CPI is hopeful with the new administration’s stated commitment to transparency and fairness, “What we are doing now is also a show of support for the newly-installed DOE Secretary to give them a chance to implement real changes and a level playing field.”

A subsidiary of Citicore Investment Holdings, Inc., Citicore Power is a renewable energy company committed to providing power while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through solar, wind, hydro, and biomass projects across the Philippines.