ERC asks the utilities to ensure compliance

The Energy Regulatory Commission ordered all power distribution utilities to appoint a Regulatory Compliance Officer to ensure that all the entities are following ERC regulations.

In its February 6 order, the commission gave all distribution utilities and regulated entities to submit the names of their designated compliance officer to the ERC before the end of February.

The ERC also provides that the compliance officer should be senior level officer within the entity, but not the general manager or the chief executive or operating officer.

It observed that non-compliance with the ERC's issuance results from the failure of regulated entities to monitor pertinent issuances of the commission for their timely compliance.

The commission added that such failures could have been avoided and properly addressed with the designation by the regulated entities of an officer that will see to it that said entity complies with all the pertinent issuances of the ERC.

With this, on October last year, the ERC issued letters to different distribution utilities asking them to comment on the proposed policy to require all distribution utilities to have compliance officers.

After due deliberation by the commission's officials, the ERC came out with the resolution last February 6. - Wenna A. Berondo