(Taguig City) The Department of Energy (DOE) respects the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to issue a new temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) from implementing a power rate increase in its December 2013 billing.
Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said “we respect the Supreme Court’s decision, yet we are hoping for the final decision on the matter.” He added that “generation companies (gencos) assure the Department to continue producing electricity despite the TRO.”
It can be recalled that the SC first issued a 60-day TRO on 23 December 2013 and extended it for another 60 days on 23 February 2014 until it elapsed yesterday. On another note, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), in its Order (ERC Case No. 2014-021MC) dated 03 March 2014, ordered the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation to void the initial price bids in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) for Luzon during the November and December 2013 supply months and has imposed regulated prices.
Meanwhile, for the power situation this summer, Sec. Petilla said “it is now stable. We have enough supply and we are not foreseeing yellow alert given that there is no unplanned shutdown that will occur. The DOE, however, is readying mitigating measures in case of supply shortfall.”
The DOE reassures the public that it continues to monitor the power situation and coordinate with energy industry players, and policy-makers and implementers to always bring forth the welfare of the electric consumers and the energy sector at large.