ERC steps up efforts to implement open access by December

By Donnabelle L. Gatdula (The Philippine Star) Updated July 22, 2011 12:00 AM  MANILA, Philippines - The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is stepping up efforts to implement open access by December this year, a top official said. ERC executive director Francis Saturnino Juan said amid apprehension that the Dec. 26 timetable for open access and retail competition (OARC) would be too tight, he said it would be best to maintain track of what had been set as a timeline for the OARC. “The ERC has declared that the OARC be implemented on Dec. 26, 2011. It should start with the implementation,” he said. But Juan admitted that there are issues that need to be threshed out before the OARC pushes through. “In the decision also of the commission, it took note of several other issues that need to be addressed before the actual implementation on Dec. 26, 2011 and also the other requisites (i.e., IT infrastructure),” he said. The ERC official, however, said they are now addressing these concerns and hope to resolve them before the implementation date for the OARC. “The Commission is looking at schemes on how to address the issues. It has even created a technical working group to discuss and look ways to address the issues. The commission will be coordinating with the DOE and other stakeholders regarding all these issues,” he said. He said the power stakeholders are also helping in resolving all remaining issues. “I understand the DOE has issued also a department circular creating the steering committee to address all these implementing issues. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do all these things before Dec. 26. But of course, our target is to implement it by then,” he said. He said the most tasking challenges of OARC implementation is the settlement. “One of the issues being discussed in the TWG (technical working group) is the issue of settlement and together with the issue of settlement is the billing and other related issues,” he said. “As much as possible, we want to give an advanced notice to the industry, the potential contestable customers, distribution utilities, retail electricity suppliers, we want to settle a definite timeline already on when retail competition will commence,” he said.