BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Energy Regulatory Commission has been urged by Third District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez to review the pricing regulations in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), following hike in electricity rates.
Benitez said that electric cooperatives are buying more expensive power supply from WESM to compensate for lack of supply due to outage in the Cebu-Negros transmission line.
During a recent congressional inquiry on power rate hike, the 3rd district solon pressed the Department of Energy and ERC, aside from electric cooperatives, to reduce their electricity charges.
Benitez also quizzed DOE, ERC, CENECO and NONECO and other electric cooperatives on their power supply agreements, and the conduct of Competitive Selection Process to ensure the lowest price in a free and transparent bidding.
In its issued advisory, NONECO said that the reduction of its power rate in October by P11.13 per kilowatt hour, was due to the low cost of electricity it purchased from WESM, as well as deferment in the collection of congestion cost and line rental.
NOCECO announced its power rate reduction of P3.89 per kilowatt hour, and also P2.08 per kilowatt hour for consumers of CENECO.*
