PSPA wants all pending energy-related issue left to Duterte administration

Leave all the pending decisions on energy-related projects, particularly in the solar sector, to the next administration to maintain transparency in the power industry, the Philippine Solar Power Solar Alliance (PSPA) said.

“The incoming administration has to decide on pending projects to ensure stability and transparency of policies,” PSPA president Tetchi Capellan said in a statement.

The alliance of solar developers said the incoming Duterte administration should be left to review all pending actions currently under the Department of Energy (DOE).

“We are fearful of any midnight decision which may cause uncertainty on investments especially foreign capital. In the spirit of transparency and consultation, it may be best for the incoming leadership to take an active role in any decision which may have strategic impact on the industry,” Capellan said.

The DOE has yet to come out with a list of solar projects entitled to incentives in the second round for solar under Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme.

In the second round for solar, solar developers who met the 500-megawatt ( MW) installation target on or before March 15 would be able to receive a FIT rate for solar power at P8.69 per kilowatthour (kwh).

So far, the DOE has issued the certificate of eligibility (COE) for FIT to 292 MW of solar capacity out of the total 500 MW, including the first round.

Earlier, DOE secretary Zenaida Monsada said there are still 800 MW of solar capacity in the race to qualify for FIT incentives and the agency is re-validating these projects.

Another pending decision is the expansion of the FIT installation for solar, which is still being done by National Renewable Energy Board (NREB), the advisory body tasked with the effective implementation of renewable energy projects in the country.

The PSPA had earlier sought for support from the DOE to provide a win-win solution for the excess capacity installed by developers in pursuit of under the FIT scheme.

“These companies poured billions of pesos into solar projects and their possible disqualification to the RE incentives not only denies the investors the opportunity to recover their capital. More importantly, it kills the momentum created by the DOE and erodes investors’ confidence,” PSPA said.