ERC sets power bid rules release

The Energy Regulatory Commission or ERC is expediting deliberation of the Competitive Selection Process or CSP guidelines amendment, scheduled to come out this month, to ensure that all the pain points raised by stakeholders will be properly addressed.

ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said the power watchdog targets to release the revised rules within the week.

"We will have a Commission meeting on Tuesday because we are aiming to release the newly revised draft within the week so we can have a public consultation again next week so that by the end of September we can finalize the guidelines," Dimalanta said.

Dimalanta disclosed that power players raised three main issues about the CSP guidelines, particularly about concerns on fixed-rate prices and the power deal terms as well as the consistency of the ERC guidelines with the Department of Energy or DoE order.

CSP eases prices

The DoE DC2018-02-0003 entitled, "Adopting and Prescribing the Policy for the Competitive Selection Process in the Procurement by the Distribution Utilities of Power Supply Agreement for the Captive Market" governs the CSP.

The CSP refers to the process whereby a power supplier is chosen to supply the electric power requirements of a distribution utility through transparent and competitive bidding to secure supply. As per the DoE order, the ERC is required to develop and publish the CSP guidelines.

The CSP policy aims to promote the needs of the consumers as presented in the Distribution Development Plan and Power Supply Procurement Plans of the DUs.

The DU, on the other hand, should embrace the principle of technology neutrality and consider the reliability of energy services in the least cost manner. It should also ensure that it can meet the demand of its Captive Market at any given time.