MANILA – Energy secretary Alfonso Cusi on Thursday said they are committed to implement institutional solutions in ensuring sufficient electricity to meet consumers’ needs, in view of thinning power supply that have at times dipped to critical levels.
This, after yellow and red alert notices have been issued by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for several days now due to thin supply after units of several power plants went on unplanned outages.
The Department of Energy (DOE) and other stakeholders continue to monitor developments in order to avoid power outages.
Cusi admitted that “short-term answers are not enough”.
“Thus, we are taking a holistic approach that focuses on the establishment of institutional solutions that would benefit consumers in the long run,” he said.
These solutions include the continuing implementation of the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA), which is currently subject to a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) by the Supreme Court (SC), the creation of a “forward market”, and thorough evaluation of current market price limits.
“These mechanisms were provided for under Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 to facilitate market competition that would provide consumers with a reliable power supply at the least cost,” Cusi said.
“The DOE fully intends to pursue these policy directions to create permanent solutions to the otherwise temporary, yet recurring challenge of red alerts. In this regard, we are calling on the cooperation of all our industry participants and stakeholders for the mutual benefit of everyone,” he added. (PNA)
