Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.

Dagooc: Delayed Regulatory Approvals Drive High Electricity Bills; Unfair to Blame NGCP

A lawmaker has pointed to delayed regulatory approvals as the main cause of the high electricity prices currently faced by consumers, stressing that it is unjust to place the blame solely on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

APEC Partylist Rep. Sergio Dagooc explained that the charges collected by NGCP make up only a small fraction of consumers’ electricity bills, and focusing on the transmission grid operator will not resolve the issue of rising costs. According to Dagooc, generation and distribution account for 55% and 20% of the bill, respectively, while NGCP’s contribution is just 3%.

“What can we immediately do to lower bills? I don’t agree that solely targeting NGCP will reduce our bills, as the contribution of transmission is very small in the overall cost,” Dagooc said during a House Committee on Legislative Franchises hearing.

Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Sharon Garin acknowledged that some project delays are due to pending approvals from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

Dagooc also criticized the DOE for relying on the Transmission Development Plan (TDP) to justify these delays. “If that’s the case in the review, then it’s bound to fail,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Philreca Party-List Rep. Presley De Jesus expressed support for Garin’s admission, asserting that blaming NGCP alone for the delays is unfair. “This is not solely NGCP’s fault. We’re not defending NGCP, but we’re trying to level the playing field. The perception that NGCP is entirely responsible for the delays is wrong,” De Jesus stated.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *