Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Raphael Lotilla has urged the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to file a motion of reconsideration after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) denied its request for monthly extensions on its ancillary service (AS) agreements.
In a report by GMA News Online, Lotilla said that all NGCP needs to do is “file a motion of reconsideration of the ERC,” adding that the grid cooperator does not “need to be an alarmist.”
NGCP is looking to award contracts to the winning bidders by April 18 formally, but the provisional approval on Ancially Service Procurement Agreements (ASPAs) may be expected by June.
On ERC’s end, commissioner and spokesperson Floresinda Digal said that they are waiting for NGCP to file a motion for reconsideration, so they could “officially revisit their ruling.”
NGCP has written to the Department of Energy (DOE) to intervene with the issue to avoid power interruptions.
“Since the CSP for AS is now nearing completion, the NGCP may file a motion for reconsideration before the ERC with updates on the CSP for AS. At the end of the day, the NGCP has the responsibility of maintaining grid reliability that requires ancillary service, and DOE expects that NGCP will live up to this responsibility,” the DOE said in a statement.