Marcos orders DOE, ERC to study proposal allowing third parties to build transmission projects

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26) —  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday directed the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to study the proposal allowing third parties to construct transmission lines.

"I have also directed the DOE and the ERC to look into the proposal of allowing third parties to construct transmission projects at the pace required by the country's power needs as we grow out of the pandemic economy," the chief executive said during the switch-on ceremony of Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project.

Marcos stressed the importance of transmission lines, citing the recent massive blackout in Western Visayas that caused P3.8 billion in economic losses in the province of Iloilo alone.

"This incident emphasized the vital role of these interconnection projects," said Marcos. "We cannot afford to have another round of this costly interruption, not only in Panay Island but anywhere in the country."

The Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project is a 184-circuit-kilometer high-voltage direct current submarine cable connecting the Mindanao and the Visayas grids via Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte and Santander in Cebu. It has a transfer capacity of 450-megawatts.

Marcos earlier ordered the ERC to reset the rates of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, which he blamed for the Panay sub-grid failure that led to the power outage in Western Visayas.