Giovanni Tapang, Ph.D.
The recent massive P4.15 per kilowatt-hour power rates hike that the power company Meralco earlier announced made many consumers see red this Christmas season. Meralco explained that the increase is due to higher electricity generation rates because of the Malampaya gas line maintenance shutdown. Their generation plants had to source costlier fuel and add electricity from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).