Open access scheme faces more delays

The implementation of open access and retail competition slated in September this year will likely be delayed further, as certain policies and issues have yet to be ironed out to ensure the smooth transition to this scheme.

“We’re getting to that very tight timetable. I don’t think it’s going to happen this September—it’s more likely [to happen in] December so the window [for preparations] is getting smaller,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, senior vice president and head of customer retail services at Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

Panlilio pointed out that, for one, the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission have yet to harmonize their respective policies and take on the rules governing open access.

The rules, he added, may also need a little fine-tuning to ensure that all processes and systems will result in the seamless operation of this scheme.

The Meralco official also noted that they have also yet to ensure that their own systems will be able to interface with that of the Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), which will serve as the central registration body for the open access regime.

“Obviously, we have to interface with those systems but we haven’t started. Energy Undersecretary Josefina Asirit earlier assured us that she will initiate a meeting between [Meralco] and PEMC to make sure our systems will communicate well,” he explained.

In a text message to the Inquirer, Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras confirmed that the implementation of the open access scheme will indeed be delayed.

According to Almendras, the implementation “may slide a few months” but the DOE is still targeting to have open access in place “within the year.”