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Outgoing Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla
officially turned over the rein of the office Tuesday to former
environment secretary Angelo T. Reyes, who vowed to continue the
government’s energy program and support the move to amend the
Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.
In simple turnover ceremonies
held at the DOE compound in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Reyes said
that President Arroyo has given him “a mandate of ensuring the
adequate supply of electricity in the days ahead; developing
alternative sources of energy like natural gas, solar and wind; fast
tracking the implementation of the biofuels program; reducing the
cost of electric power.”
He noted that the President in
her recent State of the Nation address (SONA) has called on a need
to implement amendments to the Epira in order to bring down the cost
of power.
However, Ernesto Pantangco,
Philippine Independent Power Producers Association (PIPPA)
president, said the proposed changes to amend Epira, specifically
the lowering of the open-access threshold to 50 percent from 70
percent and instituting cross-ownership restrictions between
generation and distribution, will not reduce power rates for as long
as there is a dominant player in the market, which is the National
Power Corp.
“We have enough safeguards in
the current Epira provisions such as the 30-percent generation
market share cap and 50-percent limit on contracts with affiliated
entities. Both provisions will effectively prevent the emergence of
monopolies,” Pantangco said.
--Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo
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