The House leadership has filed a bill that, if enacted, would remove unnecessary barriers to rooftop solar panels, battery storage, and similar behind-the-meter energy systems.

The aptly named Sariling Kuryente Act--embodied in House Bill (HB) No. 10431--was introduced by Majority Leader Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos and House Speaker Isabela 6th district Rep. Faustino “Bojie” Dy III.

It is expected to benefit Filipino families and businesses by giving them greater freedom to generate and store electricity for their own use without being subjected to requirements designed for commercial power producers.

“President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. wants energy policy to give people real choices, and Speaker Bojie Dy and I believe those choices should begin at home," Rep. Marcos said on Sunday, Aug. 2.

"Kung kaya ng isang pamilya o negosyo na gumawa at mag-store ng sariling kuryente, government should clear the path instead of treating them like a commercial power producer,” stressed the presidential son.

(If a family or business can generate and store its own electricity, the government should clear the path instead of treating them like a commercial power producer.)

The measure would amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001 to distinguish electricity generated for personal consumption from power produced for commercial sale.

An end-user operating a behind-the-meter generation or storage system solely for personal use would not be classified as a generation company.

Systems using equipment certified under standards recognized by the Energy Regulatory Commission to prevent electricity from flowing into the distribution grid would no longer need a certificate of compliance or prior ERC authorization.

Distribution utilities (DUs) would also be prohibited from requiring prior approval, an agreement, a technical study, meter replacement or additional charges for qualified non-exporting systems.

The owner may only be required to notify the DU that the installation has been completed.

Systems capable of exporting electricity to the grid would remain subject to interconnection rules, but utilities must act on complete applications within 10 working days.

An application would be deemed approved if the utility fails to decide within the prescribed period, while unauthorized procedures, technical requirements, equipment specifications and charges would be prohibited.

The Department of Energy (DOE) would be directed to promote the wider adoption of behind-the-meter systems, remove national and local administrative barriers and improve access to financing, qualified installers and reliable equipment.

Homeowners’ associations, subdivision developers and property managers would be barred from prohibiting installations on property owned or exclusively controlled by the end-user, subject only to reasonable conditions involving structural safety, public safety and common property.

“This bill protects consumers from needless delays without compromising safety, which is the balance President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. has consistently demanded and Speaker Bojie Dy has helped us pursue in the House. Ang mensahe nito ay malinaw (The message here is clear): families should be free to invest in their own power supply under fair and uniform rules,” noted the presidential son.

The DOE, in consultation with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and concerned stakeholders, would issue the implementing rules within 90 days, with the law taking effect 15 days after publication.