LARGE power users might have to wait until the second half of 2012 before they could tap their preferred power supplier under an open-access and retail-competition regime.

Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said open access and retail competition could probably take off early in the second half of 2012.

A technical working group is working to firm up the dates, Almendras said.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) earlier deferred the implementation of open access and retail competition to an indefinite date instead of the original schedule of December 26, 2011.

Open access and retail competition will allow electricity end-users with an average monthly peak demand of 1 megawatt to choose their electricity service supplier. 


Emmanuel Rubio, president and CEO of SN AboitizPower Corp., said while he expected the deferment, his company has been allowed to form Snap-RES Inc.—its retail electricity supplier arm—in preparation for open access and retail competition.

“We formed Snap-RES if ever we want to participate and get contracts—but it’s not a priority for us,” he added.

Apart from SN AboitizPower, power retailers like Manila Electric Co. are among the many power utilities granted a retail-electricity supplier license by the ERC.

The license is issued to an entity authorized by the ERC to sell, broker, market or aggregate electricity to the contestable market, in which end-users will have a choice of a supplier of electricity.