The June 2012 deadline set by the Department of Energy regarding the establishment of a power reserve market in the Philippines may be adjusted.
According to Energy Secretary Rene D. Almendras, the country should first focus on the open access by the third quarter, and the calibration of the reserve market can be easily determined once the open access is already well established.
The energy secretary said that there is a need for DoE as well as the other concerned industry players to further conduct studies as to the possible impact of solar in the reserve market.
As he pointed out, the department has already asked for the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) to conduct a study on the interaction of solar against other technology options available in the power system.
He further stated that they are still trying to re-assess the effectivity of the reserve market once the open access has been approved. They are also looking into the possible cases where their appointed supplier of last resort (SOLR) fails to have other sources of energy supply.
However, stakeholders from the power industry think that the inclusion of solar in the system may not actually create major adjustments as to the calculation of the reserves necessary.
The power reserve is a crucial part to ensuring that the country has a reliable and effective power supply in the system.
