The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approved the eligibility thresholds for participation in the retail electricity market in Mindanao.
Consumers with an average monthly peak demand of at least 500 kilowatts (kW) for the 12 months preceding March 26, 2024 will be allowed to contract with any licensed/authorized supplier of electricity on a voluntary basis.
Under the retail competition and open access (RCOA) program, qualified customers can freely choose their source of electricity and not be forced to be served with their default distribution utilities.
ERC said as of March 20, approximately 239 end-users in Mindanao can potentially qualify to participate in RCOA with this threshold.
The regulatory body said only 102 end-users in Mindanao would qualify if the threshold was set at 1 megawatt or higher.
“The commission views the commencement of RCOA in Mindanao with immense optimism… We will continue to support and ensure that customers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will be able to exercise meaningfully their power to choose suppliers as a way to realize reasonable price of electricity,” said Monalisa Dimalanta, ERC chairperson, in a statement.
“Over the next few months, the ERC will conduct an aggressive information campaign to capacitate our contestable customers with the ability to effectively transact in the retail market and properly discern the best terms of power supply suited to their needs,” Dimalanta added.
