More Electric and Power Corp. has assured residents, businesses and the city government of Iloilo of a stable and reliable supply of electricity after finally securing its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Energy Regulatory Commission.
This developed even as rival Panay Electric Co. filed for a urgent motion for reconsideration of the ERC order of the revocation of its CPCN.
MORE president Roel Castro made the assurance to Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo Treñas, as he renewed the Razon-backed firm’s commitment to deliver stable, reliable, and affordable power to Ilonggos.
In a statement, Castro made the same assurance to business leaders in a separate meeting after the Iloilo City Regional Trial Court issued a writ of possession to MORE to take over certain distribution assets of PECO in the city.
Castro said MORE is confident of ensuring stable and reliable power supply for Iloilo City after securing power supply agreements with three electricity generation companies—Panay Energy Development Corp., Panay Power Corp., Kepco-Salco Power Corp., and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the country’s trading of electricity.
Rey Jaleco, MORE project development head, said that since February 29 when the Iloilo City Sheriff’s Office started implementing the writ of possession, the said suppliers have delivered close to 18 million kilowatt-hours of electricity to residents and businesses in the city.
MORE also replaced eight aged distribution transformers of PECO in three districts, including three in the city proper, two in the Arevalo district and three in Lapaz district.
MORE secured a 25-year franchise after PECO’s franchise expired on Jan. 19, 2019.
PECO was later granted a provisional CPCN by the ERC to ensure the uninterrupted supply of electricity pending fulfillment of certain conditions by MORE.
Meanwhile, the ERC said it received the motion filed by PECO seeking to revoke its decision granting a provisional CPCN to MORE.
“We will evaluate the MR,” ERC spokesman Floresinda Digal said.
For its part, PECO said the revocation of its provisional CPCN is “premature” and that it should be allowed to continue to operate until MORE is able to prove its competence to do so.