By MYRNA M. VELASCO
The power industry regulator and government-run energy agencies will be undertaking industry-wide consultation next month onward to their decision to finally firm up a timeline for open access or the regime where consumers would finally be given the power of choice on their electricity suppliers.
In a symposium that draws in attendance from large electricity customers, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) declared that they would work closely with industry players and other concerned government agencies, like the Department of Energy and Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) so that policy direction on open access can finally be laid down.
"It’s (open access timeline) what everybody is waiting for, so we should really act and firm on that...we hope to move forward after the public consultation this April," said ERC contestable market division chief Marives D. Santos.
She acknowledged that there are issues and concerns that need to be addressed first, like the privatization of the generation assets of National Power Corporation, but the Commission is assuring that the open access schedule would have to be synchronized with the asset divestment blueprint set out by PSALM; and this shall come without tinkering policy reforms set forth under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.
The regulatory body stressed that they are being swamped with queries on when open access should actually start; because aside from prospect of competition that it would offer to contestable customers; investors are also keenly seeking for alternative markets for their new power plants in the absence of a viable distribution utilities which would be able to underwrite new capacities.
"If we don’t do something about this now, then we are in danger because we can’t look forward for new investments to be poured in," the ERC official stressed.
To help them explain the merits of retail competition to industry stakeholders, ERC has brought in experts from what it deemed were model jurisdictions. They include Jess Totten, Director for Electricity Division and Mike Renfro, Consumer Protection Director; both of Public Utilities Commission of Texas; and David Cornelius, Senior Regulatory Manager of the Essential Services Commission of Victoria Electricity Market in Australia.
The issue of open access has also been one of the main concerns raised during a forum attended by prospective NPC bidders for the presentation on the operations of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.
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