By Lenie Lectura - February 14, 2019
A GROUP of power producers expects
“a more efficient Energy Regulatory Commission [ERC]” now that the agency has a
full set of commissioners.
“Hopefully, we will see a more
efficient ERC because it is already a complete body. We welcome them now that
they are finally complete after some time,” Philippine Independent Power
Producers Association Inc. (Pippa) Managing Director Anne Estorco Macias
said.
The agency is composed of one
chairman and four commissioners. It was not able to process various
applications since last year because of the suspension and retirement of some
commissioners. ERC now aims to finish up to 640 pending applications for
power-supply agreements. It will also resolve 200 more applications such as
their capital expenditure program, point-to-point transmission lines, among
others.
Pippa would also want the ERC to
resolve as soon as possible pending matters on ancillary services, the grid
code and retail competition, among others. “While the ERC has it own priority
list, Pippa is hopeful that pending issues would be addressed as soon as
possible. We have a lot of things pending. I’m sure they have their own triage
of what is important because we leave that to them,” Macias said. The group
also wants the Department of Energy (DOE) and the ERC to closely work together
on some issues in a bid to achieve “a stable and reliable power and for the
rules and regulations to be harmonized.”
“We will be discussing and
reexamining our policies and regulations that we want to be answered and
settled. Now that they are complete, we look forward to the continuing
communications between the ERC and DOE. Hopefully, the concepts, regulations
and policies will be consistent and harmonized. We want to at least lessen
vagueness in interpretation,” the Pippa official said. Earlier, ERC Chairman
Agnes Devanadera said each commissioner has been recently assigned to handle a
committee to allow a reduction in the time spent in handling pending cases.
“We strengthened the ad hoc
committees. Whatever they will finish at ad hoc level, they will present to the
commission with minimum discussion,” she said.
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