The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will decide within the month on pending capital expenditure (capex) applications of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), its chairperson said, as the agency moves to prioritize critical transmission projects flagged by the Department of Energy (DOE).
ERC Chairperson Francis Saturnino C. Juan told reporters that the regulatory agency will “discuss and approve the remaining capex that were not included in the fourth, some were included in the fifth.”
“If there will be a need for us to issue a decision on these pending capex projects so NGCP can already start them then we will do that,” he added.
NGCP, which holds the 25-year franchise to operate the national transmission grid, has drawn scrutiny for delays in rolling out projects vital to connecting new power plants and easing grid congestion.
Regulators have repeatedly pressed the company to fast-track implementation, noting that several projects are already years behind schedule.
Juan assured that the ERC’s action on NGCP’s applications will be transparent, pointing out that the commission’s proceedings are now publicly accessible.
The ERC chief said the regulator is also shifting attention to issues affecting off-grid communities, where electricity costs remain high and service unreliable.
“Kailangan tutukan na yung mga off-grid issues, marami rin kasi dumadaing na doon sa generation rates that are being implemented. That’s one,” Juan said.
For its part, the NGCP stated that its transmission lines are ready to handle increased power supply, particularly in the Luzon and Visayas grids, with available capacity of over 10,000 MW to accept new generation sources and reduce alerts.
“This infrastructure readiness helps ensure energy stability and encourages more private sector investment in power generation by providing the “power highways” for additional electricity,” the NGCP said in a statement
Among the new infrastructure are the Mariveles-Hermosa transmission line and Cebu-Negros-Panay backbone that have significantly increased transfer capacity and inter-island connectivity, the statement noted.
