ERC issues COC, COE to 17 solar-power providers under 2nd round of FiT scheme

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has issued certificates of compliance (COCs) to solar-power providers under the second round of the feed-in-tariff (FiT) scheme.

“We already completed the issuance of COCs for the solar-power plants covered by the second round of FiT rate, which is P8.69 per kilowatt-hour [kWh]. Pursuant to the ERC rules, the power plants issued COEs [certificate of endorsements] by the DOE [Department of Energy] were correspondingly issued their FIT-COCs,” according to ERC spokesman Rexie Digal.

The following solar-power projects were endorsed by the DOE to the ERC.

• the 23-megawatt (MW) San Carlos solar-power project of San Carlos Solar Energy Inc.;
• the 6.23-MW Centrala solar project of NV Vogt Philippines Solar Energy One Inc.;
• the 13.14-MW Pampanga solar project II of Raslag Corp.;
• the 2.66-MW Burgos solar project II of Energy Development Corp.;
• the 50.07-MW Tarlac solar project of PetroSolar Corp.;
• the 14.15-MW Hermosa solar- power project of YH Green Energy Inc.;
• the 10.26-MW Cabanatuan solar project of First Cabanatuan Renewable Ventures Inc.;
• the 63.3-MW Calatagan solar project of Solar Philippines Calatagan Corp.;
• the 20-MW Currimao solar project of Mirae Asia Energy Corp.;
• the 8.5-MW Valenzuela solar project of Valenzuela Solar Energy;
• the 2.04-MW Lian solar project of Absolut Distrillers Inc.;
• the 18-MW Bais solar project of Monte Solar Energy Inc.;
• the 22.33-MW Clark solar project of Enfinity Philippines Renewable Resources Inc.;
• the 10.49-MW Kibawe solar project of Asian Greenergy Corp.;
• the 5.02-MW Palauig solar project of SPARC Solar Powered Agri-Rural Communities Corp.;
• the 15-MW Bulacan III solar project of Bulacan Solar Energy Corp.; and
• the 132.5-MW Cadiz solar project of Helios Solar Energy Corp.

These solar projects, except for NV Vogt Philippines Solar Energy One Inc., secured COCs from the ERC in early December of 2016.

The FiT-Allowance (FiT-All) serves as an incentive to renewable-energy (RE) developers to ensure the viability of their projects. RE includes wind, run-of-river hydro, solar, geothermal and biomass.

Consumers are the ones who shoulder the FiT-All, a separate line component in the power bill.

The distribution utilities  are the ones that collect the FiT-All from end-consumers. They will remit this to the National Transmission Corp., which was tasked by the ERC to administer the FiT-All fund.