At least two companies may supply the 1,800 megawatts or MW power requirement of the Manila Electric Co. or Meralco following the proposal of the Energy Regulatory Commission or ERC to set a maximum offer cap of 1,200 MW. 

In an interview with reporters on Tuesday, Meralco first vice president and regulatory management head, Jose Ronald Valles said the ERC recommendation was incorporated into the amended Terms of Reference or ToR of the competitive selection process or CSP for the required power supply.

"Under the ToR, any bidder can offer a maximum of 1,800 megawatts so the ERC recommended to cap it to a certain level and we recommended 1,200 MW which I think was acceptable to her," Valles told reporters. 

Thus, Valles said the winning bidders could be two firms with m 1,200-MW and 600-MW capacities. 

Yet, it could also be multiple firms as the minimum offer was set at 150-MW.

Valles pointed out that if the two firms have the same price bid, the company utilizing liquefied natural gas or LNG will be prioritized. 

"For the 1,200, there was an advisory from the DoE to encourage prioritization of indigenous fuel so we incorporated that in the ToR, so effectively, we are encouraging the plants using Malampaya gas to join the bidding," he said. 

Valles also pointed out that the ToR was amended to ensure that Meralco gets the most reliable power producer.

Under the original bidding terms, any bidder can offer a maximum of 1,800 MW.

However, it was flagged by the ERC as it might promote anti-competitive behavior in the market since a single company may win the bid.