The Department of Energy (DOE) is currently looking for investors to provide electricity services to at least 69 areas considered as “remote, underserved, and unserved.”
Targeted investors will only be given entry through the qualified third party (QTP) program, the sanctioned policy of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) aimed at encouraging private sectors to give electricity services to rural communities in the country’s off-grid and remote areas. The policy complies with the provisions of Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA).
Six of the 69 QTP areas are in Negros Occidental, while the remaining 63 are in Palawan.
“The DOE is determined to fast track its total electrification program for the country. We will make electricity available to all unserved and underserved households in the country, and the QTP program will help us realize our goal,” Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi said in a statement.
Participation as QTP is open to private firms, local government units, cooperatives, non-government organizations, generation companies, or subsidiaries of distribution utilities (DU), as long as they are capable to comply with the relevant requirements through a competitive bidding process.
The DOE also noted that the concerned DU shall “conduct the competitive bidding for QTP within 20 working days from the date of posting of the QTP service areas.”
However, if the DU would fail to comply with the process, the National Power Corporation shall conduct the competitive bidding.
