Bidding for 50 run-of-river hydroelectric sites put on hold

The bidding for the 40 to 50 run-of-river hydroelectric sites that are up for private sector development has been put on hold pending more preparations by the Department of Energy (DOE).   "It has slightly been put on hold hanggang naayos ang set up ng DOE,” Lisa Go, chief investment specialist of the Energy Investment Promotion Office, said on Thursday. “We cannot do it this year anymore because we need to do some preparations."   The Energy official in charge of the bidding, Undersecretary Jay Layug, has resigned and was replaced by Ramon Oca.   The department had also just undergone a leadership change, with Carlos Jericho Petilla replacing Jose Almendras as DOE secretary. Almendras has been appointed Secretary to the Cabinet. Go said the department has to prepare and inform the investors of the timeline of the bidding and process the documents.    "The investors need time to study. We have not started the bidding preparations for now. Maybe the bidding will be around middle of next year," she said.   The 40 to 50 run-of-river hydro sites, located in Luzon and the Visayas, have a capacity of two megawatts and less and are covered by existing studies from Japan International Cooperation Agency. — KBK, GMA News