A consumer group is pointing its fingers not only at the oversight of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) but also at the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) on the Western Visayas power outage.
In a report by Rappler, The National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms, Inc. (NASECORE) said that outdated power infrastructures as well as flawed regulations played a part in the Panay Island blackout.
NASECORE president Pete Ilagan said that the ERC played a part in the blackout, as the commission was slack in approving power supply contracts, which caused setbacks in critical projects. Meanwhile, the DOE fell short in prodding the NGCP to complete its grid connection projects.
However, during the Senate probe this Wednesday, the ERC said that it had issued show-cause orders and penalized the systems operator for the delay in the project.
These delayed projects involved the Cebu-Negros-Panay Transmission Line Project, which, once accomplished, would serve as the mainstay to end the power blackouts in Panay. Despite that, the impediment for these projects is due to various issues like the procurement of permits needed and right-of-way issues.
With regards to the probability of Maharlika Investment Corporation (MIC) investing in the NGCP, NASECOR said that the problems affecting the whole of the energy industry should be straightened out first before considering it.
The consumer group also stressed that the ERC is lagging in the current energy landscape and that its processes do not match the complex choices required by the industry today.
Additionally, the DOE should be aggressive in searching for alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar, to ease reliance on traditional energy, said the group.
