Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 20) — Creating a charter to govern the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will give the agency “more teeth” in addressing the energy sector’s issues, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian has filed Senate Bill No. 487, or An Act Enhancing The Governance Structures Of The Energy Regulatory Commission, to push for the initiative.
\”If enacted into law, the proposed measure will hope to provide ERC with more teeth to regulate various stakeholders in the energy sector,\” a statement from the senator stated.
Gatchalian, a vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, said the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA) still has \”much room for improvement,\” noting the developments in the energy industry.
Gatchalian said he has already discussed the issue with Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla and ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta. He added that they all agreed on the need to revisit the powers of the ERC.
\”ERC is one of the most important actors in the energy sector, so we have to make sure that it has enough power to penalize,\” the senator said.
As a regulator, Gatchalian pointed out that the ERC plays an important role in ensuring that the interests of consumers are protected, and its governance structure should foster independence, transparency, and accountability.
The lawmaker earlier called on the ERC to penalize National Grid Corporation of the Philippines for its failure to complete transmission projects on time, disrupting the flow of the country’s energy supply.
