Electric coops mandated to comply with connection targets on electrification

The country’s electric cooperatives (ECS) are mandated by the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to adhere to their committed service connections for the country to achieve its full electrification goal up to the household level on or before the end of the Marcos administration in 2028.

NEA said it had instructed all 121 ECS “to comply with the 2024-2028 projected number of potential consumer connections in pursuit of (the) accelerated total electrification plan.”

Fulfilling 100-percent electrification for all Filipino households is one of the key promises laid down by President Marcos in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2023.

To keep pace with that desired outcome, NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano C. Almeda issued a memorandum on Dec. 12, 2023, directing the ECS “to harmonize their targets and monitor accomplishments,” in line with the Local Total Electrification Roadmap and the Distribution Development Plan.”

As set forth in the government-underpinned Total Electrification Plan, NEA is taking a shot at escalating service connections at areas served by ECS nationwide—and the aim is to serve 1,359,610 customers.

The electrification agency explained that the figures are based on data gathered from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), as well as on the application of linear programming.

As of end-october this year, it was estimated that 16,281,177 potential consumer connections would have to be catered to by the ECS, based on the 2020 PSA census.

NEA added it will draw up detailed projections for each electric cooperative employing connections data entry template (DET). These will be uploaded at the Nea-business Intelligence Technology portal and the Barangay Energization Matrix (BEM) by January next year.

A separate memorandum was issued by NEA on Dec. 15, stipulating that the BEM template “was improved to streamline the DET connections”— and that delved on the identification of solutions for the energization of each barangay.

The agency primarily designated Jovani Lagon, acting head of the Program Control Section of NEA’S Database Management and Program Control Division (DMPCD), as point person who will assist the ECS relative to the newly rendered orders.

Further, solutions will also be explored for areas with low-level electrification to give them prioritization, including funding allocation.

According to NEA, “each EC will be rated accordingly, subject to the implementing guidelines of the Annual EC Overall Performance Assessment,” which is a prescription under the level of electrification parameter.