Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to impose higher penalties on transmission operators, distribution utilities (DUs), and generation companies (GenCos) to help bring down the cost of electricity.

“If we have a strong regulator, bababa ang presyo ng kuryente,” Gatchalian said during a Senate Committee on Energy hearing on his proposal to strengthen the ERC’s governance structure.

He cited the case of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), which was fined only ₱15 million for 34 delayed projects in 2024 — despite reporting ₱17 billion in net profit and ₱3.6 billion in shareholder dividends. “The penalty is not commensurate with the size of the transmission operator,” he said.

Gatchalian warned that project delays can lead to higher electricity prices and even brownouts due to lack of alternative transmission options.

Under the current Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the ERC can only impose up to ₱50 million per offense. Gatchalian’s proposal seeks to raise this cap and direct part of the collected penalties toward lowering consumer power rates.