BAGONG RULE SA RE INVESTORS: DOE to determine areas viable for RE developments

Energy Department assessing renewable energy goals

The Department of Energy (DOE) has tweaked some rules on the awarding of service contracts to renewable energy (RE) developers with its predetermined areas (PDAs) available for development.

Interested developers can now apply with the DOE for PDAs on RE installations, as stated in the draft revised guidelines administering RE operations and service contracts.

DOE’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau (REMB) will be the agency in-charge of identifying the predetermined areas for RE developments. Location maps and technical descriptions of the area will be included.

The PDAs “shall refer to areas with renewable energy potential through sufficient available technical data as may be determined by the REMB and as approved by the Energy Secretary,” as reported in Manila Bulletin.

Back then, investors can state where they prefer to construct RE projects, particularly during the time when these developments were incentivized by the feed-in-tariff allowance (FIT-All) system.

However this process has its cons such as the catch-up mode installations of underpinning transmission facilities and over-developments in particular areas.

DOE said they will schedule the formal launching and submission of RE service contract applications.

Aside from the RE sector, the oil and gas industries are adopting the same mode of investment-applications.