DOE sets another Power Summit

The Department of Energy (DOE) will hold another Power Summit within the first quarter this year to establish the roadmap for attaining the objectives of Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).

In 2008, several executive and legislative initiatives to amend the EPIRA were filed.

For this year, the DOE said there should be a clear policy direction on the power sector amid calls for changes in the EPIRA.

In a report, the DOE said it plans to convene a round-table discussion with stakeholders to identify issues and prioritize tasks by the energy sector in preparation for the Power Summit

Aside from the summit, the DOE is also committed to continue with the privatization of the assets of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) such as Angat, Navotas 1 & 2 Palinpinon, Tongonan and Bacman.

The privatization of Napocor’s assets is one of the salient provisions in the EPIRA.

The DOE said it would also push for the privatization of Napocor IPP contracts through the appointment of IPP administrators (IPPAs).

The first bidding of IPPAs will be held on February 2009, the DOE report said.

According to the DOE report, it would also push for the accelerated privatization of the Napocor’s Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) through new power providers and qualified third parties.

The DOE said it would also address the impending supply shortfall in the Visayas through the conduct of stakeholder’s consultation in January to discuss options for addressing the impending supply shortfall in the area.