ERC sets to issue final Green Energy prices

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said it wants to resolve all possible legal hurdles before it issues the final pricing for the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) set next month.,At a press conference on Wednesday evening, ERC chairperson Agnes VST Devanadera said the agency already concluded the mandated public consultations.,She said her agency considered the recommendations submitted to them about the proposed prices under GEAP or the competitive process of procuring renewable energy (RE) supply.,“We’re on track. Of course, there are issues submitted to us, including legal issues. But we’re on track,” ERC chair Agnes Devanadera assured the reporters.,The ERC is mandated to set and finalize green energy auction reserve (GEAR) prices. The initial price for solar was set at P3.6248 per kilowatt hour (kWh); wind, P5.2887 per kWh; biomass, P5.5480 per kWh and run-of-river hydro, P5.8705 per kWh.,As per the Department of Energy (DoE), GEAR price is the maximum price offered in peso per kWh set. It puts the price cap for the auction conducted for the period when tariffs are in effect.,The government plans to bid out 2,000 megawatts (MW) of RE capacity to use non-conventional energy sources in the country.,The DoE identified 1,400 MW of RE for auction in Luzon, 400 MW in the Visayas and 200 MW in Mindanao covering hydro, biomass, solar and wind technologies.,The energy department wants to corner secure suppliers for 900 MW of solar, 360 MW of wind, 80 MW of hydro and 60 MW of biomass in Luzon.,Meanwhile, target capacity in the Visayas is 260 MW of solar, 120 MW of biomass and 20 MW of wind.,In Mindanao, on the other hand, the capacity requirement is 100 MW of solar, and 50 MW each of hydro and biomass.,The DoE previously said that it intends to hold the green energy auction on or before 17 June 17.  A pre-bid conference should be slated not later than 1 June, while the notice of award should be on 24 June.,