ENERGY Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi continues to assess the agency’s next step in dealing with the solar-power projects that failed to secure a certificate of endorsement (COE) under the second round of the feed-in-tariff (FiT) program.
“Yes, we met a group of them. We are still evaluating options for those who didn’t get the FiT,” the Department of Energy (DOE) chief said in a chance interview.
He said the agency needs more time before it can announce any development.
The DOE recently released the list of solar-power projects that were awarded with COE. Based on the list, 17 solar-power projects, with a combined capacity of 417.05 megawatts (MW), are entitled to receive the subsidized rate of P8.69 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for 20 years as incentive for investing in solar power.
This list was forwarded to the ERC so it could issue a Certificate of Commerciality (COC) to these projects. Citicore’s 18-MW solar-power project in Mariveles, Bataan, and its 25-MW solar facility in Silay, Negros Occidental, did not make it to the list of projects that the DOE approved.
Also, Negros Island Solar Power Inc. (IslaSol) earlier filed an appeal before the DOE. It asked why its two solar-power projects in Negros failed to make it to the list. The solar-power projects of IslaSol that were not included on the DOE list are the 32-MW La Carlota and the 48-MW Manapla power projects in Negros Occidental.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of Solar Developers of the Philippines Inc. (CDSDP) sought an audience with Cusi to discuss the country’s solar-power development.
The CDSDP is composed of seven founding generation companies, including AboitizPower, Bronzeoak, EDC, Equis, NV-VOGT Philippines, SolarPacific and Solar Philippines. These solar-power developers have combined—installed and in operation—capacities of up to 515 MW.
Business Mirror