WHEREAS, Section 2 of Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 or EPIRA, declared as a policy of the State to, among others, ensure the quality, reliability, security and affordability of the supply of electric power, protect the public interest as it is affected by the rates and services of electric utilities and other providers of electric power, and encourage the efficient use of energy and other modalities of demand side management;