As Private Sector Representative/member of the Regional Development Council (RDC) of SOCCSKSARGEN (Region 12), Mahintana Foundation, Inc., represented by Mr. Jobe C. Tubigon, Operations Manager, participated in the Public Consultation on Independent Market Operator (IMO) Arrangements for the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) on April 5, 2018 at Royal Mandaya Hotel, Davao City. The main objectives of the public consultation are to (a) present and define the governance arrangements in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) under the Independent Market Operator (IMO) Regime and (b) provide for various requirements of the effective monitoring, surveillance and enforcement of WESM.
This Mindanao-wide consultation was organized by the Department of Energy (DOE). At least 100 key representatives from the electric power industry in Mindanao participated in the consultation. These include the Transmission Companies (TransCo), Generation Companies (GenCos), Distribution Utilities (DUs) and/or Electric Coops (ECs) which will eventually comprise the IMO. The IMOs are grid-related power industry where each IMO or GenCo/DU/EC has a generation capacity of at least 5 Megawatts.
During the consultation, Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella presented the DOE’s Draft Department Circular on the Governance Arrangements in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) under the Independent Market Operator (IMO) Regime while Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola provided updates on the Causer Pay Mechanism. After the presentations, both had entertained comments/suggestions from the participants to enhance the draft. According to USec. Fuentebella, in simple terms, WESM is like a stock market on energy. He stressed that WESM and IMO would be consistent with the wisdom of EPIRA to ensure quality, reliable, secure, affordable and reasonable prices and electricity supply through a transparent, free and competitive power market.
