Singson expects ‘different challenges’ at Meralco PowerGen
By Myrna M. Velasco – October 21, 2017, 10:00 PM
from Manila Bulletin
With regulatory-snagged approvals of power supply agreements (PSAs) on projects, incoming Meralco PowerGen Corporation President Rogelio L. Singson indicated that he is expecting “different challenges” at his next post, nonetheless, he still considers such as “exciting episode” at this stage of his career.
“It will be an entirely different challenge. It will be exciting times,” he said, when asked on his expectations once he takes over the helm of the power generation subsidiary of Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
Singson admitted though that he has yet to comprehensively learn and orient himself on the issues the company has been embroiled in, as well as sift through the entire landscape of the energy sector.
The former secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is also concurrently designated Senior Vice President of Meralco. He already attended the company’s management committee (ManComm) meeting on Monday (October 16).
Over at his next post, it was divulged that “100 plus slides and counting” on compendium of issues is being prepared for him on his initial briefing or “town hall meeting” with Meralco PowerGen executives on October 25.
On queries which of the slides are “company hurdles and which ones are lighter issues,” an insider tipped off that “unfortunately, all are problems.”
Singson was supposed to take over October 1 this year, but he admitted he is still transitioning at Light Rail Manila Corporation, “because I don’t have my replacement yet.”
When he assumes at Meralco PowerGen, his first biggest challenge will be leading the company on securing the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on at least three PSAs, so key projects could already take off from blueprint.
The projects already considered advancing are the 1,200MW Atimonan One Energy, 600MW Redondo Peninsula Energy; and 700MW St Raphael coal-fired power projects. These are part of the seven PSAs that Meralco had underwritten for its long-term supply portfolio with an aggregate capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.
Congress has already terminated public hearings on one resolution raising questions against all of the seven PSAs that Meralco had sealed outside the dictum of competitive selection process (CSP), but another one authored by Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate would still be pursued on the investigation trail of Congress.
The ERC has already been given the “Congressional go-ahead” to act on the power supply deals with completed public hearings and other regulatory requirements, but hints on the Commissioners’ decision are not even manifest yet at this point.
