Energy urges ERC to relax WESM rules

By Alena Mae S. Flores – December 06, 2019 at 08:05 pm
from manilastandard.net

The Department of Energy urged the Energy Regulatory Commission to relax some of its requirements to enable the start of commercial operations of the electricity spot market in Mindanao by next month.

“We wrote ERC to relax some of their requirements, like the 90 percent participation because we feel that if we really push for that, we will have a hard time achieving the target of Jan 26, 2020,” Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola said.

Delola said the government aimed to put in place the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the trading floor for electricity in Mindanao, by January 26, 2020.

“The standing order of the department is to conduct commercial operations by January 26, 2020. We will actually issue a department circular commencing the operations of WESM the issues that are pending right now is first the approval of PDM, price determination methodology – pending with the ERC,” he said.

Delola also said another concern was the simultaneous transition of the Luzon and Visayas WESM to the new market management system.