Meralco eyes capex of P20.69 billion in 2021

By Alena Mae S. Flores – November 06, 2020 at 08:25 pm
from manilastandard.net

Power retailer Manila Electric Co. has asked the Energy Regulatory Commission to approve a capital expenditure budget of P20.697 billion in 2021 to ensure the reliable operation of its distribution network.

“Primarily, these capex projects are necessary to avert the foreseen emergency situations and ensure the reliable operation of its distribution network and connection to meet the growing needs of tis about 6.9 million customers,” Meralco said in a filing with the ERC.

Meralco said its regulatory year 2021 capex program would cover projects for implementation on July 1, 2020 to June 31, 2021 that were geared towards providing reliable service to customers by maintaining an adequate, safe, efficient and viable distribution network while providing the needed capacity to address the forecasted load growth within its franchise area.

The company said the distribution network should be sufficient to meet its current and immediate requirements. It expects customer base to expand to around 7.3 million and peak demand to reach 7,801 megawatts next year.