The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said that government agencies and state-run firms are being encouraged to lead the push for increased renewable energy (RE) utilization in the country.
Outgoing ERC Chair Monalisa Dimalanta told reporters late Monday that programs being cited for the use of the government include the Retail Aggregation Program (RAP), net metering, solar rooftop, and Distributed Energy Resources (DER).
RAP allows loads from multiple end-users with consumption levels below the 500 kilowatts (kW) threshold, located within the same franchise area and under certain conditions, to be aggregated for contract purposes with their preferred supplier at their agreed-upon purchase price.
Meanwhile, under the net-metering program, solar power facility owners with a capacity of less than 100 kilowatts peak (kWp) can export their excess electricity to the grid in exchange for electricity bill credits, which can be in the form of rebates.
On the other hand, DERs are small power generation units that can be installed in consumers’ homes in the form of rooftop solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage, among others.
“We really still need to hopefully push for that advocacy among government agencies so that we can show that government leads the way… Not just RAP but net metering, DER, solar rooftop,” Dimalanta said, adding that “depending on the situation of a government agency, they can choose their own adventure so to speak, as to their power procurement.”
Lowering retail competition threshold
She said ERC is also trying to complete the roadmap for public consultation on the proposed lowering of the threshold for the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) program before she steps down from the regulatory body next month.
At present, contestable customers or those who can source their electricity through RCOA, should have a monthly peak demand of at least 500 kW over the preceding 12 months to be able to choose their own power suppliers and negotiate for their power rates.
“The roadmap to our RCOA lowering of the threshold is in the agenda of the commission for this third quarter but we will check if it can be accelerated and if we can have the roadmap for public consultation by next week because that will most likely be my last meeting with the commission,” Dimalanta said.
However, she explained that lowering the RCOA threshold down to the household level will also need upgrades and changes especially for distribution utilities to roll out their smart meter programs.
She also cited the need to make the program accessible as registration for it has to be automated apart from required preparations on the side of the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) as it will serve as the central registration body.
“Infrastructure wise, I don’t think IEMOP is ready. Therefore, we need to prepare all the necessary elements, including the entire ecosystem, to enable the household to exercise its power of choice. Those are all going into the roadmap,” Dimalanta assured.
The ERC operates as a quasi-judicial body which mainly decides on applications and cases that will affect power rates in the country.
