Published February 13, 2018, 10:00
PM By Myrna
M. Velasco
The Energy Regulatory Commission
(ERC) is still extremely evasive when it comes to giving definitive timeframe
on when it can act on the pending power supply agreements (PSAs) of the power
projects being advanced by Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
When asked if the PSAs of the
country’s biggest utility firm could be acted on the next 60-day return to
office of the four Commissioners, ERC Chairperson Agnes T. Devanadera hinted
that it is still highly unlikely.
“There are processes and we have to
make sure that the processes are in place, that the study is done,” she
stressed.
That was asserted by the leadership
of the Commission even on a media dare that if there had been really nothing
wrong about these power supply contracts, it might be about time that they
approve such so they can finally stand the test of day.
The ERC chief added that completion
of public hearings and evaluation of the motions for intervention of parties
opposing the PSA approvals have yet to be carried out also.
ERC Commissioner Alfredo J. Non, who
was officer-in-charge of the Commission at the thick of deliberations of at
least two of Meralco’s PSAs, similarly indicated that the pendency of the cases
may even extend beyond their scheduled retirement in July.
It is worth noting that two of the
supply deals – primarily for the 600-megawatt Redondo Peninsula Energy and
1,200MW Atimonan coal-fired power plants, already advanced on public hearings
and evaluation processes, but Devanadera said there are other matters being
weighed on the filing of case intervenors.
The power utility firm, along with
its electricity generation arm Meralco PowerGen, already sounded off repeatedly
to the industry regulators the need for immediate approval of their PSAs so
their projects could finally move to construction phases.
But the ERC has been treading very
carefully on these specific contracts, given the extent of opposition being
thrown against them as well as the slew of cases that these PSA approval bids
had already ignited.
Non emphasized “all will have to go
through a certain process, if it’s not completed before my retirement, then ERC
will continue to deliberate on it.”
He stressed “there’s no hidden
agenda, personal or otherwise… if it’s not as I said, the other Commissioners
or the new Commissioners will deal with it.”
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