THE ENERGY Regulatory Commission (ERC) said it will hold this month a hearing to evaluate the Philippine Hybrid Energy Systems, Inc.’s (PHESI) application to develop, own and operate a transmission line that will connect its 16-megawatt wind farm in Oriental Mindoro to one of National Power Corp.’s transmission lines.

In an advertisement published Monday in a local newspaper, the ERC said the hearing, pushed back from the original Aug. 30, 2018 date, is set for June 20, to be conducted at the agency’s hearing room in Pasig City at 2:00 p.m.

The hearing intends to determine whether to give the green light to PHESI’s application to own, operate and develop a transmission line from the wind power energy facility in Puerto Galeria in Oriental Mindoro, the output of which has been contracted to Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative. Inc. (ORMECO) under a provisional sales energy agreement the ERC approved in April 2014.

The transmission line is proposed to connect the wind facility to the eight-kilometer Napocor-owned 69 kiloVolt between Calapan and Minolo, particularly in Barangay Tabinay.

The initial cost of the connection facilities for the transmission line is pegged at P131.30 million, which may fall to P102.76 million with about half accounted for by the Napocor’s inclusion of a cut-in scheme in its connection agreement with PHESI.

Although the connection agreement with the Napocor was executed in November 2017, PHESI further seeks the proper determination of the party to bear the cost on the construction of facilities as well as coming up with a proper mechanism for recovery.

PHESI also sought the hearing to confirm PHESI’s asset boundary and line protection responsibility.

ERC called on parties interested in the matter to file before the regulator a petition to intervene five days before the initial June 20 hearing.

Pasig City-based PHESI is a renewable energy development company engaged in developing wind, hydro, and solar energy projects in the country and other countries in Asia.

Upon the issuance of the approval, the company intends to engage the services of ORMECO or any of its operation and maintenance providers so as to undertake the operation, service and maintenance of the dedicated facility involving, among others, periodic inspection of the point-to-point interconnection facilities, regular assessment of pole and wire conditions.

The firm will subsequently seek from the ERC a certificate of compliance to complete the project. — Janina C. Lim

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