PH to resume reserve market early-August

Adjustments to the WESM will be made for this.

The Philippines’ Department of Energy (DOE) has ordered the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) to coordinate with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to implement the needed adjustments to the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) for the resumption of the reserve market targeted early this month.

"The ERC's action to lift the suspension of Section 8 of the billing and settlement of the PDM [Price Determination Methodology] will lead to the resumption of the reserve market which is eagerly awaited by both the power sector industry and the DOE,” Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said in a statement.

“Coordination among the DOE, ERC, MO and SO are therefore crucial for the necessary adjustments to the WESM systems and processes to ensure the smooth implementation of the reserve market,” she added.

According to the department, adjustments are required to align the reserve market’s one-hour dispatch interval with the energy market’s five-minute trading interval to fully realise the benefits of co-optimising energy and reserves.

The DOE will issue an official advisory on 5 August for the resumption of the reserve market, pending the submission of guidelines from the market operator.