Power cooperatives told to relocate facilities for infrastructure right-of-way

MANILA, Philippines — Power cooperatives will be given until the end of the year to relocate transmission facilities in the right-of-way (ROW) of national government infrastructure projects.

The Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Public Works and Highways are working together to facilitate the immediate relocation of the affected transmission facilities of power cooperatives.

Both agencies are drawing up a joint circular to form an inter-agency task force (IATF) to implement the relocation of transmission lines of electric cooperatives (ECs).

The said inter-agency task force will oversee the implementation of the relocation of said facilities.

Once the circular is signed, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) will be tasked to submit an inventory of all obstructing facilities nationwide to the IATF.

The task force will then order the immediate removal of the assets from the government’s ROW.

ECs will be given until April 30 to submit their relocation plan and until end of the year to execute the plan, which will entitle them a grace period for the payment of compensation.

For non-complying ECs, the NEA will provide the relocation plan of the affected facility at the expense of the concerned EC.

This follows the joint circular issued by the two agencies in July 2017 which prescribed uniform guidelines and procedures for the proper payment of compensation and/or recovery of cost in the event of the need to relocate the distribution/sub-transmission lines of electric cooperatives.

The previous circular provides that ECs should have removed and relocated obstructing facilities within a period of one year.

After the one-year window, the NEA should demand from concerned ECs the relocation of the obstructing facilities at their own expense.

A DPWH official said the circular should have been implemented in 2013 to support Republic Act 10351 or the National Electrification Administration Reform Act of 2013.