The Department of Energy (DOE) had ordered the power industry players in Mindanao to continue with the central scheduling scheme in place for the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) until the department announces when the regional spot market would begin operations.
In an advisory, Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi said that “all Mindanao electric power industry participants mandated to register in the WESM shall continue to participate in the WESM central scheduling and shall comply with the guidelines, procedures, and instructions of the Market Operator and the System Operator in the implementation of the same.”
Cusi added that participants must follow the five-minute rule scheduling and dispatch of power, which is already in effect in the Luzon and Visayas spot markets. He also directed players to follow the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ “re-dispatch” instructions.
The energy chief reiterated that all participants must complete their WESM registration within the central scheduling period or otherwise face sanctions.
Participants, including grid-connected and embedded generators that are required to register with the WESM, will need to participate first in the central scheduling.
The Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) previously said there will be no WESM operations, WESM settlement, or spot market transactions during the central scheduling period.
Two weeks later after the shift, the IEMOP noticed an improvement in its peak demand projections, with accuracies of day-ahead forecasts hitting 94.7% in Luzon, 92% in Visayas and 96% in Mindanao.
IEMOP Manager of Operations Planning and Modeling Edward Olmedo said better forecasts give participants in the market accurate estimates of the price changes and conditions for the next day.