ERC issues rules for third-party accreditation of NGCP’s grid study

By Alena Mae S. Flores – January 1, 2024, 7:25 pm
from manilastandard.net

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) issued a resolution on National Grid Corp. of the Philippines’ (NGCP) accreditation process for third-parties to conduct system impact studies (SIS).

It said this followed the amendments issued in June 2022 of some provisions of the Open Access Transmission Service (OATS) rules, including allowing third parties to conduct the SIS to address the backlog of requests.

The SIS will determine the capacity of the power grid to accommodate the additional capacities and identify necessary improvements such as additional transmission lines, transformers or substations.

The OATS rules require the transmission provider to maintain a sufficient number of accredited third-party SIS providers to ensure that the timelines for processes prescribed by the rules are met.

ERC Resolution No. 18 includes the guidelines outlining the accreditation process for services.

Under the guidelines, an annual review of the performance of all accredited service providers would be conducted by NGCP as the transmission network provider.

The ERC said adherence to prescribed timeline for completing accreditation evaluations is also mandated.

NGCP is required to regularly update its simulation software to the latest version to ensure continuous software support, security and compatibility.

The regulator said that through these initiatives, it aims to foster a more transparent electricity market, ensuring the safe, reliable and efficient operation of the power system.