ERC pushes approval of NGCP ASPAs

MANILA, Philippines — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said that it is making steady progress on the 36 ancillary services procurement agreements (ASPA) initiated by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), having successfully completed the pre-filing review for all the applications.

“The ERC remains committed to facilitate the approval of the ASPAs to ensure that consumers continue to have access to reliable electricity,” the agency said.

According to the ERC, all applications have also undergone publication and proper payment of filing fees.

Of the 36 applications, the ERC said 21 have been formally set for hearing before the ERC.

NGCP, the power transmission grid operator, issued notices of award for 36 ASPAs last April 18 pursuant to the competitive selection process mandated by the DOE.

It concluded the acceptance and opening of bids for ancillary services last March on 14, 15, and 16 for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, respectively.

The bids were then evaluated and notices of award were issued last April 18.

Ancillary services are necessary for NGCP to manage power fluctuations to ensure the quality and reliability of power flowing through its system.

If not managed properly, NGCP said that fluctuations can cause damage to sensitive equipment, or even automatic load dropping if the fluctuations are severe enough to pose a danger to the transmission system as a whole.