Power companies fail to submit ECCs on ERC-enforced deadline
The five power projects that were given 60-day ultimatum by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) failed to submit their mandated environmental compliance certificates (ECCs), the power industry regulator has revealed.
Instead, the project-sponsor companies filed motions for reconsideration, but these are still pending for action by the ERC.
“No ECCs submitted yet but motions and manifestations for Commission resolution have been filed,” ERC Spokesperson Floresinda B. Digal has noted.
The 60-day ultimatum afforded by the industry regulator should have lapsed June 20 to June 25 this year; and the deadlines were reckoned as to when the notices were served by the ERC to specific projects.
Nevertheless, the reconsideration plea of the power companies cannot be acted by the ERC given the fact that it does not have a functioning Commission this time. That was following the threemonth suspension meted upon its toplevel officials and the non-appointment yet on replacements of former Commissioners Alfredo J. Non and Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc.
The power projects enforced on ECC submissions have been: Mariveles Power Generation Corporation and Central Luzon Premiere Power Corporation of the San Miguel Energy group; Global Luzon Energy Development Corporation of Metro Pacific Investment Corporation of the Pangilinan group; Palm Concepcion Power Corporation of A. Brown Company, Inc.; and Astronergy Development Mindanao, Inc. which is headed by businessman Dennis Eala.
Of the five projects, three are covered by the highly ticklish power supply agreements with Manila Electric Company – the Mariveles, Central Luzon Premiere and Global Luzon Energy power projects.
It was gathered that several power project proponents also lodged their queries with the Department of Energyled Energy Investment Coordinating Council (EICC) as to which process they shall be complying with in their ECC applications.
Such policy changes being carried out by the government, they said, have been sowing confusion – hence, it has been triggering some delays also on securing their respective project permits.
Energy Undersecretary Jesus Cristino P. Posadas asserted that they have been assessing how to address the ECC application system for the power projects – at least under the coordinated processes set forth under Executive Order No. 30.
He emphasized that to harmonize government permitting procedures, they intend to rope in the ERC in the entire chain of such processes, primarily for ventures that are applying for “energy project of national significance” certifications.