ERC denies red tape led to Occidental Mindoro power crisis

By Alena Mae S. Flores – March 2, 2023, 6:15 pm
from manilastandard.net

The Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday denied that red tape led to the power crisis in Occidental Mindoro province.

It issued the statement in the course of the hearings in Congress on House Resolution No. 34, the bill authored by Rep. Leody Tarriela, who sought an investigation into the power supply problem in the province.

“The ERC has always been mindful of its responsibility to timely act on applications filed before it to ensure continuous supply of electricity to consumers. We, therefore, regret the statements made that ERC is to be blamed for the power crisis in the province of Occidental Mindoro,” ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said.

She said the ERC has been diligent in its efforts to facilitate the issuance of certificates of compliance or provisional authorities to operate in favor of generation facilities in Occidental Mindoro because of the power situation in the area.

“We have prioritized resolving pending issues of parties concerned and have been timely in our actions to issue permits for them to operate,” Dimalanta said.

The regulator said it was closely coordinating with concerned stakeholders, particularly with Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corp., the supplier in the area, on the status of its generating facilities supplying or will supply to Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative Inc.

The ERC said it conducted technical inspections as soon as the commissioning of the facilities was done. However, the issuance of COC or grant of PAO hinges on the generation company’s submission of requirements in order for the commission to act on its application to allow it to provisionally operate, it said.

The regulator said it granted a PAO to OMECO’s supplier for its 23.28-MW San Jose diesel plant, 12.6-MW diesel plant and 8.3-MW diesel plant.

It said the supplier, however, had not filed the COC application for its 7.1-MW diesel power plant.