DOE halts Meralco COC until PCC, ERC sign off
The Department of Energy (DOE) said that it is withholding the issuance of a Certificate of Conformity (COC) to the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) until it receives aligned findings from both the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
Energy Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan said that Meralco has submitted its Competitive Selection Process (CSP) to the PCC and is awaiting the review to be forwarded to the DOE.
“At the same time, we are requesting an update from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC),” Marasigan said. “We told Meralco that we’re waiting for comments from both the PCC and the ERC.”
Marasigan added, “Our COC will be aligned with their findings.” He further explained that the reason for the delay in issuing the certificate is to ensure alignment with the PCC's decision.
“We don’t want to issue a Certificate of Conformity that could be challenged later by the PCC, or vice versa, if PCC clears it but the DOE has issues… We want just one unified position,” he emphasized.
According to Marasigan, the proposed CSPs include capacities of 200 megawatts (MW), 600 MW, and 450 MW, with the latter being the most recent addition.
“I believe [the 450 MW] is mid-merit. The 200 or 250 MW is baseload renewable energy (RE), and the 600 MW is also baseload,” he explained.
The CSP enables distribution utilities (DUs) like Meralco to procure power through transparent and cost-effective mechanisms.
Meralco had previously indicated its need for government certification as it intended to procure supplies in April, May, and baseload capacity by September 2025.