Congress, DOE to settle Malampaya allocation for energy crisis – Palace

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – It will be up to Congress and the Department of Energy (DOE) to agree on how the energy shortfall next year will be dealt with and if the Malampaya fund will be tapped for expenses, Malacañang said Monday.

“Congress and DOE will be in discussions as to the best manner to address the power shortage in 2015. Let’s wait for all options to be threshed out,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a text message to media.

Lacierda was responding to questions on how much will be allotted from the Malampaya fund to lease generating sets for additional capacity in the summer of 2015.

Senate President Franklin Drilon on Sunday said over the radio that around P4 billion to P10 billion from the fund might be allotted for the lease or purchase of generating sets.

The Malampaya fund, worth at least P137 billion, consists of royalties earned by the government from the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power project.

President Benigno Aquino III last month asked Congress to grant him additional authority to contract generating capacity amid projections of a power shortfall around 300 megawatts to 1000 megawatts next year.

However, lawmakers have yet to approve the joint resolution granting the said authority.

Senator Sergio Osmeña III earlier said he was not convinced that the government should resort to contracting power. Instead, he said other options should be considered, including the Interruptible Load Program, which allows owners of private generating sets to sell their excess power to the grid.

Last month, critics of the Aquino administration accused the government of wanting to “dip its fingers” into the Malampaya fund through the power crisis.

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