Meralco awaits DOE clearance for 800-MW power supply auctions

Meralco workers fixing power lines (Photo from Manila Electric Co.)

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is awaiting the release of a certificate from the Department of Energy (DOE) to push for the auction for 800 megawatts (MW) of power supply capacity.

Following the group’s annual stockholders’ meeting in Ortigas City on Tuesday, Ronnie Aperocho, Meralco executive vice-president and chief operating officer, said the company was preparing for new rounds of the competitive selection process (CSP) to boost its supply for next year and 2028.

According to another official, the two proposed bids were already up for the DOE’s approval.

“[Based on] the DOE’s CSP policy, a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) should be issued by the DOE before a CSP can commence,” Lawrence Fernandez, Meralco’s chair for bids and awards committee for power supply agreements, said in a message to reporters.

Fernandez said Meralco would seek proposals for a 200-MW renewable energy baseload, which would be tapped beginning January 26, 2026.

A larger baseload supply of 600 MW should also be obtained to strengthen the supply starting February 26, 2028.

Pushed back

These two auctions, however, were initially targeted to push through in the early part of the second quarter.

“For the two proposed CSPs that were slated to commence in April and May, we should still be able to complete them in a timely manner, based on experiences from past CSPs,” Fernandez said.

Last month, the group said it would procure more than 2,000 MW of electricity supply it would need from 2026 to 2046.

READ: Meralco to get over 2GW of power supply after franchise renewal

This came as the power distributor giant secured President Marcos’ backing to extend its franchise until 2053.

In a previous statement, company chair Manuel V. Pangilinan said Meralco would deploy more long-term energy infrastructure projects to “improve the delivery of electricity to homes, businesses and industries that fuel the country’s development.”

READ: Meralco eyes more long-term projects under renewed franchise

Meralco is the biggest power distributor in the Philippines, serving more than eight million customers in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and select areas in Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon.