ERC: EPIRA amendments could bring down power costs

The proposed changes to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) could deliver the long-awaited solution to soaring electricity costs, according to the country's power regulator.

- By BRIX LELIS

"The amendments in EPIRA will definitely help," said Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson and CEO Monalisa Dimalanta when asked if the changes would alleviate high power costs.

Enacted in 2001, EPIRA reforms and liberalizes the country's power industry by unbundling it into four distinct sectors - generation, transmission, distribution and supply - to promote greater competition in the electricity market.

Before EPIRA, all aspects of the power sector were controlled by the state-run National Power Corp. (Napocor).

Over 20 years later, President Marcos ordered Congress to review the law and make necessary amendments to those policies that are not applicable for the present time.