National Grid Corp. seeks exclusion from power-rate hike case
PHOTO BY NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines on Monday called on the Supreme Court to exclude it in the petition filed against the P4.15-power rate increase as the firm was only “dragged” into the case by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
In its 38-page comment, the NGCP said the charges it is collecting were given prior approval by the Energy Regulatory Commission after undergoing series of publications and public hearings.
It added that approved charges remained the same within 2013.
NGCP added that what it is collecting is transmission charges.
The transmission charges are based on demand of a customer imposed by NGCP. On the other hand, generation charges are based on actual consumption of electricity imposed by generation companies that provided the power.
“These charges are billed by NGCP separate from the generation charges imposed by the generation companies. There is no way that NGCP could increase or affect the generation charges,” it added.
“NGCP has no means of colluding with the generation companies. NGCP has nothing to do with the generation charges imposed by generation companies upon generation customers. Its function is merely to assure that the transmission highways are reliable and secured…NGCP was dragged into the case based on false conclusion of Meralco that transmission charges are included in the TRO,” it added.
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