RDC-7 pushes 2 more for PEM Board

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Development Council in Central Visayas has recommended two more names from Cebu to be part of the Philippine Electricity Market (PEM) Board as members.

The nomination came pending the Department of Energy’s action on the nomination of Gordon Alan “Dondi” Joseph as independent member.

The RDC-7 during its full council meeting last Friday has endorsed the nomination of Engr. Noel Fernandez, plant manager of East Asia Utilities Corp. (EAUC) and Engr. Gilbert Pagobo, general manager of Mactan Electric Company (MECO), to be members of the PEM Board representing the generation and distribution sectors, respectively.

The suggestion to have a Visayas representative in the PEM Board and/or any of its five subcommittees such that of the committees on Rules Change, Market Surveillance, Dispute Resolution Group, PEM Audit, and Technical was raised in at least two meetings of the Power Subcommittee of the RDC-7.

In its meeting last December 2012, the RDC-7 approved the nomination of Joseph as one of the four independent members in the Board, as recommended by the Powercom through the Infrastructure Development Committee.

Joseph is currently a member of the Powercom and president of the Cebu Business Club.

RDC Secretary Efren Carreon, assistant regional director of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) 7, informed the council that they are still awaiting feedback on the communication sent to Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC).

Carreon said that the PEMC has reportedly forwarded the RDC resolution to the DOE.

The Powercom members also agreed to nominate representatives to the PEM Board from the generation and distribution sectors.

Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001 provides for the institutionalization of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) for the fair and competitive trading of electricity.

The PEMC, with the PEM Board at the helm, is the governance arm of WESM.

The PEM Board, chaired by the DOE Secretary, is composed of four directors representing the generation sector, four for the distribution sector, one for the transmission sector, one for market operator, one who is representative of and nominated by other WESM customers, and four directors who are independent of the Philippine electric power industry. (FREEMAN)