DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an Executive Order (EO) mandating all power service providers to ensure “consistent and reliable electricity service” for the country to achieve total electrification in the Philippines.
In EO No. 156, which was released to the media on Saturday, Duterte orders the power utilities and distributors to “institute measures to ensure consistent and reliable electricity service in inadequately served areas, improve performance of ineffective distribution utilities, and achieve total electrification of the country”.
The EO also orders the Department of Energy (DOE) to identify unviable, unserved, underserved, and poorly served areas within the franchise areas of distribution utilities.
The DOE is tasked to order all distribution utilities to submit a Comprehensive Electrification Master Plan for the total electrification of their respective franchise areas.
In said EO, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) shall “promulgate rules in computing rates that allow full cost recovery for the facilities built by microgrids, [distributed energy resources], and other alternative electric service providers.”
It is within the mandate of the ERC to impose fines and penalties against non-compliant distribution utilities and recommend the revocation of their franchises to Congress.
