PE2 policy committee reviews IRR, submits comments to DOE
MAKATI CITY, 26 July 2019 – The Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2), through its re-organized PE2 Policy Committee, completed a comprehensive review of the draft Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11285: An Act Institutionalizing Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Enhancing the Efficient Use of Energy, and Granting Incentives to Energy Efficiency and Conservation Projects, also known as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EE&C) Act, and officially submitted its review comments to Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi of the Department of Energy (DOE) earlier today.
In less than a week since its re-organization on 19 July 2019, the PE2 Policy Committee performed a review of the various sections of the 8 July 2019 draft of the IRR, which covered observations and recommendations on IRR rules pertaining to Government energy efficiency projects, demand-side management, energy performance standards and labeling, certification of professionals and energy service companies (ESCOs), designated establishments, and incentives. Chaired by PE2 president Alexander Ablaza, the PE2 policy committee thematic leads include Theresa Acedillo Lapuz, Danilo B. Aquillo, Richard Henrick I. Beltran, Mark Anthony T. Delumen, Bienvenido C. Gonzales, Raymond A. Marquez, Maria Concepcion P. Simundac and Samuel West Stewart. The Sub-committee on ESCO certification is composed of Raymond A. Marquez (lead), Jose O. de Jesus, Ronaldo R. Torres, and Richard A. Uy. The Sub-committee on the Inter-Agency EE&C Committee and Government Energy Efficiency Projects is composed of Theresa Acedillo Lapuz (lead), Felix Richard A. Cordova and Jagannathan Srinivisan.
Ablaza said, “PE2 is proud to have received the swift, committed support of its new PE2 policy committee members, which have in less than one week completed a close analysis of the draft IRR, and enabled the Alliance to consolidate and submit its official position to the DOE, at least 4 days before the scheduled 1st Inter-Agency and Stakeholders Meeting to be held on 30 July 2019.”
The major PE2 recommendations in its 14-page letter to the DOE include: categorization of ESCOs in the certification process, incorporation of the BOI guidelines in the IRR for fiscal incentives, inclusion of information and communication technology concerns (e.g. cloud-based solutions) in government EE projects, specificity in how government procurement and financing modalities may be expanded, and the initial comments on the draft DOE circular on IRR mandating the implementation of the demand side management program. Comments were also made on the certification of professionals, energy performance standards and obligations of designated establishments.
DOE is the lead agency mandated by the EE&C Act to develop the IRR. DOE has hosted Inter-Agency meetings on 21 June 2019 and 10 July 2019 with the formation of the different groups composed of the representatives from the Senate Committee on Energy and the other relevant government agencies that shall work on the different chapters and sections of the Act.
On 30 July 2019, DOE will be broadening the consultations to capture the comments and inputs of non-governmental energy efficiency market stakeholders. DOE invited PE2 president Alexander Ablaza to send an official PE2 delegation. PE2 has registered and will be sending up to seven Trustees and senior representatives to the day-long 1st Inter-Agency and Stakeholders Meeting, which is seen to prepare the way for the public consultations to be held in August-September across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
