There will be no brownouts, DOE assures

The Department of Energy (DOE) gave assurances at a Senate hearing on Tuesday that the suspension of four of the five-member Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) commissioners, which all but paralyzed ERC operations, would have no impact on power supply even if no new power distribution contracts were approved.

Answering questions from senators, Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said should there be no new contract with power suppliers, the government could always tap the electricity spot market for supply.

Sen. Win Gatchalian, chair of the Senate energy committee, said the practical solution would be for President Duterte to immediately appoint qualified individuals as ERC commissioners in acting capacities.

The four commissioners had been suspended for failure to enforce government policy against anticompetitive behavior in the electricity market.

But the consumer group Power for People Coalition, during a rally at the ERC, said the suspension order had not been enforced.

Fuentebella said there was no reason to worry about supply even with an immobilized ERC.

ERC Chair Agnes Devanadera said she believed Mr. Duterte would not allow the situation to deteriorate and affect supply.

She agreed, though, that if pending applications for power contracts were not acted upon by the ERC, distribution utilities would be unable to sell power to consumers.