Solar Para Sa Bayan Corp. urged industry stakeholders opposed to its franchise to work together toward achieving total electrification after President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11357 granting it a permit to operate micro-grids in selected areas around the country.
President Duterte on July 31 2019 signed into law RA 11357 granting Solar Para Sa Bayan a franchise to operate micro-grids in the remote and unviable, unserved or underserved areas in selected provinces of the Philippines.
“We wish to extend an olive branch to those who once opposed this bill, for us to support the (Department of Energy’s) goal of achieving 100 percent electrification and ending energy poverty in the Philippines by 2022. It is time for us to join forces and work together for the common good,” the company said.
Electric utilities and power suppliers claimed the bill “encroached” upon their service areas, and opposed how the bill allows SPSB to enter selected areas that experience regular brownouts, claiming that brownouts are due to “many factors that are beyond the[ir] control.”
“We thank President Duterte for giving new choices for electricity to Filipinos in unserved and underserved areas. This is not for us but the Filipino people, and we owe it to the consumers who fought for this to deliver the service they have long deserved,” SPSB said.
After extensive deliberations, the bill was approved by Congress and the Senate in June 4 2019. The final version of House Bill 8179 included several amendments such as limited scope and technology, regulation, obligations and penalties and no subsidy from the government.
The bill, however, was endorsed by the Energy Regulatory Commission and Department of Energy, which have made achieving 100 percent electrification its top priority as around 12 million Filipinos still lack electricity.
SPSB said over 30 local governments wrote to the national government in support of the bill’s benefits to their provinces and municipalities.