The Department of Energy has recently released the invitation to bid for the conduct of a Competitive Selection Process for Microgrid Service Provider for the electrification of an initial 98 unserved and underserved areas in the country.

It added that two Cebu remote islands — Carnaza in Daanbantayan and Gibitngil in Medellin — will have electricity.

There are seven areas in Carnaza — sitios Barrio Proper 1, Barrio Proper, Danbarrio, Pantao, Candionesio, Liog-Liog and Linao with 800 households and all sitios in Gibitngil with 514 households.

These were categorized as unserved in the area covered by distribution utility Cebu II Electric Cooperative Inc.

To recall, the DoE teamed up with Cebeco II to provide electricity to households in Gibitngil using solar energy under the Solar Home System of the Rural Power Project between 2011 and 2013.

Gibitngil residents were barred from using TV sets, DVD players, refrigerators and flat irons to prolong the life of the solar system, which consists of solar panels and batteries. However, residents violated the rule and with the high cost of replacing solar batteries turned the project into a failure.

Carnaza is currently powered by small generator sets and costly solar panels bought by residents to power their homes. The island's schools had been energized through a solar power system installed with European Union and German government funding.

According to the DoE, the bids will be opened on 27 December 2023 and the Notice of Award will be issued on 12 March 2024.

Republic Act 11646, or the Microgrid Systems Act of 2022, mandates the holding of a Competitive Selection Process before an MGSP can serve off-grid areas, as well as a 90-day timeline to complete the CSP process from the pre-qualification until the submission to the Energy Regulatory Commission of the awarded contract.