The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) plans to slash the maximum offer price for power reserves by 64 percent to protect consumers from sharp rate spikes while preserving stability in the national electricity grid. Under an eight-page draft resolution released by the utility regulator, the price...
Power generation companies that drag out maintenance shutdowns or trigger unexpected outages will now face stiff daily penalties, as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) finalized a new framework capping annual unplanned downtime. In a resolution, the ERC said generation companies must not exceed...
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has ordered power distributors to suspend electricity service disconnections, among other measures to ensure consumer protection amid the ongoing energy emergency. In an advisory issued on Thursday, July 16, the ERC directed distribution utilities (DUs) to...
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is moving to advance a modernized Philippine Grid Code (PGC) to upgrade grid standards, strengthen system reliability, and enable the integration of renewable energy (RE). In a statement on Monday, July 13, ERC Chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan said the...
As Meralco customers gear up for an increase in power rates this July, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) should ensure consumers will not experience any irregularities in their electricity bills. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian made the appeal as he also urged the ERC to make sure that...
If there is one thing that has united consumers in recent months, it is not a national holiday or a collective celebration: it is the shared shock and frustration of opening their electric bills. For the millions of subscribers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), every billing cycle has become an...
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday, July 10 sought a “no disconnection” policy for consumers who are contesting their electricity bills with Meralco. “Consumers who were erroneously charged should not be forced to pay disputed charges just to keep their lights on,” Hontiveros said in a...
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is planning a stricter regulatory framework that will require electricity distributors to secure prior approval for bidding terms on power supply contracts, a move aimed at eliminating anti-competitive practices and lowering consumer electricity rates. Under...
The Philippines remains energy insecure as its growing dependence on Middle Eastern crude oil and tightening power reserves leave the country increasingly vulnerable to global fuel supply disruptions as well as power supply risks, according to state-run think tank Philippine Institute for...
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is preparing to penalize power generation companies in Visayas whose prolonged plant shutdowns have triggered persistent yellow grid alerts and threatened the regional power supply. ERC Chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan said in an interview last week that the...
The Philippines has secured approval for a new grant from the United States (US) aid arm Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) to support energy-sector reforms, providing a fresh boost to the Marcos Jr. administration’s efforts to strengthen energy security while the country remains under a state of...
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) defended a contentious new policy that strips the state transmission operator of its exclusive building rights, arguing the shift is vital to unlock more than 1,000 megawatts of stranded renewable energy. Speaking at a European Chamber of Commerce of the...
