ERC to slap P16M in fines vs. 8 gencos over May 31–June 3 outages —solon

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is set to impose P16 million in total fines against eight of the 17 power generation companies probed for supposedly breaching the allowable number of unplanned outages, which resulted in power outages from May 31 to June 3.

This was revealed by Zamboanga City 2nd District Representative Manuel Jose Dalipe during the plenary deliberations for the proposed 2022 budgets of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the ERC.

“Eight out of nine respondents were held administratively liable. Approximately the total penalty [to be] imposed is at P16 million. All of these will go to the National Treasury,” Dalipe, who sponsors the proposed budgets of the DOE and ERC, said.

The lawmaker did not identify the eight power generation firms which will be slapped with fines.

Dalipe said that the penalties to be imposed against the power generators can never be passed on to the consumers.

Sought for confirmation, ERC chairperson Agnes Devanadera said, "We will post the decisions on our website as soon as everybody has signed them."

To recall, Devanadera told the House Committee on Appropriations last September 2 that it is already computing the penalties against eight generation firms which it initially evaluated. 

She earlier said that the ERC is resolving the cases on the 17 gencos “one by one, not in lump sum.” — BM, GMA News