The Department of Energy (DOE) said amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) are meant to update policies and strengthen protection of consumers.
DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla said one of the key updates needed in the law is the clarification of the jurisdiction of the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) over the electricity industry vis-a-vis the Energy Regulatory Commission.
This stems from the investigation initiated in the past of PCC into simultaneous unscheduled shutdowns of select power plants which led to thin electricity supply in Luzon this week, forcing rotating brownouts.
“…It is always a continuing effort to amend the EPIRA so that we can adjust certain parts that may require some tweaking,” Lotilla told reporters at the launch of a wind power project in Ilocos Norte last week.
Earlier this month, DOE Undersecretary Sharon Garin said in a hearing of the House Committee on Energy other amendments in the EPIRA should include the ban on foreign-owned or foreign government-backed companies in power transmission.
The DOE is proposing the divestment by foreign companies backed by foreign governments of their investments in transmission within 10 years.
EPIRA was first enacted in 2001 which led to the privatization of most components of the power industry in the Philippines.
Since then, several quarters have been clamoring for either the repeal or amendment of EPIRA, citing its alleged failure to effectively pull down power rates in the country.
