By Myrna M. Velasco – January 7, 2018, 10:00 PM
from Manila Bulletin

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has been mandating power distribution utilities (DUs) and electric cooperatives (ECs) to submit reports on their updated system loss and interruption reports on a specified timeframe this year.

On the agency’s notice to relevant stakeholders, it noted that the submission of required data and reports shall commence July 2018, via the Distribution Management Committee (DMC), a duly constituted body to facilitate the monitoring of compliance of players of this segment of the industry to the Distribution Code.

The method of reporting shall also be undergoing transformational changes as such will have to be done already on a web-based platform.

“Distribution utilities are required to submit within six months after the last workshop conducted by the Distribution Management Committee (DMC) the distribution system loss segregation and interruption reports electronically,” the ERC said.

The process of submission as well as data reporting, according to the Commission, will likewise be put through consultation by the DMC.

As proposed, the DUs “shall submit quarterly system loss reports (exhibiting monthly data) on or before the end of the month following the quarter,” using a format prescribed by the DMC.

For interruptions report, it shall be anchored on a quarterly data, and done on or before the end of the month following the quarter, to be accomplished also on a prescribed format.

The segregation of DU system losses can be separated into technical and non-technical items – which in turn, could help regulators in determining the warranted system loss cap that shall be enforced as to the level of recoverable costs of the relevant industry players.

System loss reduction has been a consistent campaign directed to DUs and electric cooperatives so they can trim this component which has bearing on cost pass-on to consumers.

On service interruption, data gathering on this sphere could aid the ERC in establishing the level of efficiencies and service guarantee that DUs must have for their customers.

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