By Lenie Lectura - June 12, 2018
THE Department of Energy (DOE) will
solicit comments from the public on three proposed policies that will further
strengthen its mandate to prepare plans and programs relative to energy
exploration, development, utilization, distribution and conservation.
The DOE-Electric Power Industry
Management Bureau (DOE-Epimb) intends to issue three new policies concerning
the power sector.
First is a policy prescribing a
uniform monthly electricity bill format for the captive market of distribution
utilities (DUs) to ensure greater transparency and public awareness.
The proposed policy calls for
further transparency in the electricity bills of DUs by providing a breakdown
of the transmission charge to include delivery and ancillary service charges,
and itemized systems loss to identify technical and nontechnical losses.
It also entails the adoption by all
DUs of a uniform bill format, which can be easily understood by electricity
end-users. The new bill format will reflect the status of bill deposits being
charged by the DUs to the consumers, giving them updates on the principal and
the interest earned.
The Energy Regulatory Commission
(ERC) will also provide the necessary regulatory issuances for the
implementation of the said proposed policy within 60 days.
The second policy proposal
prescribes the rules governing the review and evaluation of direct connection
applications by industrial, commercial and other qualified electricity
end-users, as well as ecozone enterprises.
This provides a transparent
procedure on how the DOE will exercise its function to review and evaluate
applications for direct connection of end-users and economic zone enterprises
to the grid.
Applications for direct connections
were previously being filed with the ERC until the Supreme Court declared that
the direct supply of electricity is not within the ERC’s jurisdiction to
resolve, but falls within the purview of the DOE.
Currently, the ERC endorses to the
DOE all previously filed applications for direct connections.
The third policy is for the
efficient transition of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) to the
Independent Market Operator (IMO) regime.
The draft Department Circular on IMO
Governance Arrangements primarily stipulates additional guidance and
operational safeguards for the WESM under the IMO to ensure transparency,
competitiveness, the protection of public interest, as well as the integrity of
the WESM.
The DOE-Epimb has already conducted
a public consultation on three proposed policies last Monday.
More than 150 participants attended
the event, including representatives from the House Committee on Energy,
National Electrification Administration, National Grid Corp. of the Philippines,
Philippine Electricity Market Corp., Philippine Competition Commission, Power
Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., generation companies,
distribution utilities, electric cooperatives, retail electricity suppliers,
direct customers, local government units of Bulacan and Ilocos Sur, academe and
consumer group Citizen Watch.
The agency has scheduled a wider
stakeholder involvement. “The DOE will accept the public’s comments and
suggestions on these proposed policies: Until June 15, 2018, for the
Independent IMO Governance Arrangements; and June 30, 2018, for both the
Uniform Electricity Bill Format and the Direct Connection Guidelines.”
Meanwhile, The DOE-Energy
Utilization Management Bureau (DOE-EUMB) conducted its first inspection of
donated hybrid vehicles in Region 8 in Palo, Leyte.
A total of 45 units of hybrid
vehicles was given to the Philippine National Police Region 8 for use as patrol
cars. The donation forms part of the Japanese government’s support for the
economic and social development of communities devastated by Supertyphoon
Yolanda.
The donation supports the DOE’s
program to promote the use of efficient and environment-friendly Alternative
Fuel Vehicles (AFVs) such as electric vehicles.
Eight hybrid cars were also given to
the local government offices: the Departments of Environment and Natural
Resources, Trade and Industry and Science and Technology, Bureau of Fire
Protection, Philippine Information Agency, Land Transportation Office and the
Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The hybrid car donation is under the
JPY500 Million Japan Non-Project Grant Aid to the Philippines for the
procurement and delivery of next-generation vehicles. The beneficiaries will be
assisting the DOE in research, performance testing and promotion activities for
the local adoption of AFVs.
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