US, Aussie power regulators hold talks with local energy groups

Power regulators from the United States and Australia are holding discussions and sharing information on power-related issues with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in Manila.

The ERC said discussions started last Monday with officials from the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT) and Australia’s Essential Services Commission (ESC). The mission will be here today.

The PUCT-ESC mission will be joining the top brass of Distribution Utilities (DUs), consumer organizations from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and the ERC in roundtable discussions on consumer-related issues.

The foreign mission will also discuss with the host regulator issues on incentive-based regulation and the business-to-business (B2B) program.

Together with the ERC, they will also look into areas of future cooperation between and among the United States, Australia and the Philippines in the field of energy regulation.

"The ERC recognizes the importance of global solutions to the issues that are commonly faced by regulators. It is glad to have the PUCT and the ESC as partners in seeking new approaches to effectively serve the stakeholders of the electric power industry," ERC chairman Rodolfo B. Albano Jr. said.

During the consultations, the ERC will encourage customers to organize groups for check and balance purposes on the implementation of reforms in the electric power industry.

"As the industry moves forward, exciting developments will lead to the formation of a competitive retail electricity market," Albano said.

The ERC chief noted that discussions with its counterparts from US and Australia are relevant in improving the consumers-investors relations. "The ERC envisions a more challenging role that the consumer groups will play to help in balancing the interests of the power providers and the consumers. The ERC hopes that the consumers will rise up to the challenge," the ERC chief said.