Monday, September 4, 2017

Energy department releases ‘green energy’ draft rules for industry comment




THE Department of Energy (DoE) has released the final draft of the rules governing the “green energy option” program, a mechanism that enumerates the renewable energy choices for end-users to choose from to fuel their power requirements.
It has given the industry until Monday, Sept. 4, to submit its comments and recommendations, otherwise concurrence with the draft rules is assumed.
The renewable energy options listed by the DoE are biomass, solar, wind, geothermal, ocean energy and hydropower that conform with the internationally accepted norms and standards on dams, and “other emerging renewable energy technologies.”
The purpose of the program is to empower electricity users to choose renewable energy in meeting their requirements.
Aside from enumerating the energy resources, the program will also identify generating facilities using the renewable energy technologies that consumers, distribution utilities and electric cooperatives, and electricity suppliers can source their requirements.
It will also cover the registration by the distribution utility and electric cooperative customers of their option to source power from and the billing for monthly energy consumption and generation charge attributable to the renewable energy resources.
The scope includes the technical feasibility and stability of the transmission and distribution grid systems, and other rules “necessary, incidental or convenient to achieve the objective” of the program.
The draft rules also enumerated the prohibited acts, administrative and penal sanctions against mandated electric power industry participants that have violated provisions of the green energy option program.
The DoE said it may impose a penalty ranging from reprimand to revocation of license with corresponding fine ranging from a minimum of P100,000 to P500,000, depending on the gravity of the offense.
It also said “any person who willfully aids or abets the commission of a crime prohibited herein or who causes the commission of any such act by another shall be liable in the same manner as the principal.” — Victor V. Saulon

No comments:

Post a Comment