EO on ‘unserved’ electricity areas up

By Alena Mae S. Flores – January 28, 2019 at 08:10 pm
from manilastandard.net

The Department of Energy endorsed to the Office of the President the draft executive order that will direct distribution utilities and electric cooperatives to connect “unserved and underserved areas” to ensure the attainment of total electrification.

“Our concern is total electrification program. We look at the ECs serving, we want them to step up and serve the people. If they cannot serve the people and somebody comes in, we are not opposing this franchise because it wants to serve the people,” Energy Assistant Secretary Gerardo Erguiza Jr said.

The EO directs DoE and relevant energy agencies to formulate comprehensive plans and programs to accelerate electrification and increase the quality and affordability of service in unviable, unserved, underserved or poorly served areas in the country, and address the concerns on under-performing and ineffective distribution utilities.