ERC scales up efforts to aid electric coops

MANILA, Philippines — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) continues to intensify its initiatives to connect with remote areas nationwide.

The agency’s caravan has reached Visayas and Dinagat Island.

“The ERC expanded the scope of the caravan; not only will we discuss your power supply agreements but also work towards finding solutions to your other concerns,” ERC chairperson and CEO Monalisa Dimalanta said.

“Our goal is to understand better and collaborate to find solutions to what member-consumer-owners are going through,” she said.

Dimalanta said the ERC is committed to facilitate the attainment of a reliable electric power supply nationwide.

During the caravan, representatives from various electric cooperatives (ECs) actively engaged in the discussions on the initial assessment of their power supply agreements (PSA), including the common issues and suggested solutions.

“I myself have been moving around, visiting the ECs, and to really see the situation on the ground. Let me express my appreciation to ERC for bringing ourselves closer to our electric cooperatives,” National Electrification Administration administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said.

The ERC commenced in November last year its PSA caravan, a program to socialize proposed solutions and identify other immediate responses to cushion the effect of or arrest further increases in electricity prices.

This came as power rates spiked in almost all regions in the country due primarily to a substantial increase in the global price of coal this year, according to the ERC.

The PSA caravan is aimed at engaging private distribution utilities and ECs in discussions and finding solutions to address the increasing electricity rates in various parts of the country.

The next ERC caravan is scheduled to be held in Zamboanga City before the end of November.