Published July 13, 2019, 10:00 PM By Myrna M.
Velasco
The existing league of retail
electricity suppliers (RES) can be automatically accredited as participants in
the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP) that the Department of Energy (DOE) has
been advancing as a long-term market for renewable energy (RE) installations in
the country.
Under a targeted policy, the energy
department propounded that there shall be “automatic qualification of existing
retail electricity suppliers” or those that are already serving or in contract
with end-users under the retail competition and open access (RCOA) edict of the
power sector.
The RES wanting to be automatically
accredited in the GEOP will just need to submit the required documents —
including proof of billing from at least one customer of open access for two
years; or a sworn statement of the customer attesting to the fact that it has a
contract with the applicant for the last two years.
The other requirements are articles
of incorporation or partnership with certificate of registration or business
name registration certificate; as well as RE supplier information sheet; proof
of contract with RE facility and compliance certificate of the RE facility.
RES licensees are those suppliers
catering to end-users within the prescribed threshold of power retail
contracting (currently voluntary at 750 kilowatts and 1.0 megawatt thresholds)
– this is done within the precept of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act
(EPIRA). The issuance of RCOA licenses is instituted by the Energy Regulatory
Commission, the duly mandated regulator of the restructured power sector.
For GEOP, this will entail the
direct purchase or contracting of electricity supply/service from RE sources on
the preference of customers/end-users – and the threshold could go as low as
the level of residential end-users.
Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi
expressed confidence that “the GEOP will give rise to a reliable market for RE
generation and enhance competition among RE and other power suppliers.”
As to the renewable energy
suppliers, the issuance of operating permits shall be done by the energy
department, as stipulated in its draft circular that is now being routed for
inputs and comments by affected stakeholders.
Other than the existing
RCOA-anchored retail power suppliers, the energy department also set out
requirements for application for other interested renewable energy suppliers,
including the documents that they will need to submit.
“Any person, natural or juridical, registered
and/or authorized to operate in the Philippines under existing Philippine laws
and engaged in the business of supplying electricity from RE sources may apply
for an operating permit as RE supplier,” the DOE’s draft Circular has
stipulated.
The processing of RE supplier
applications shall be carried out by the Renewable Energy Management Bureau
(REMB) of the DOE – and this shall be the entity to recommend approval or
denial of operating permits’ issuance.
“Within 20 working days from
submission of complete documents and requirements, the REMB Director shall come
up with a decision on whether to approve, disapprove or reject an application
or order on reasonable grounds,” as well as the postponement of final action on
any application, the DOE has specified.
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