Registration of Renewable Energy Suppliers under the GEOP

IEMOP GEOP BULLETIN NO. 1, 25 November 2021
Registration of Renewable Energy Suppliers
under the Green Energy Option Program
pursuant to ERC Resolution No. 08, Series of 2021
and DOE Circular No. DC2018-07-0019 and DC2020-04-009

Pursuant to the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, the Department of Energy (DOE) established the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP) which provides a mechanism for electricity end-users to source their electricity supply from renewable energy resources. To operationalize the GEOP, the DOE issued Department Circular Nos. DC2018-07-0019, entitled “Promulgating the Rules and Guidelines Governing the Establishment of the Green Energy Option Program Pursuant to the Renewable Energy Act of 2008” and DC2020-04-009, entitled “Guidelines Governing the Issuance of Operating Permits to Renewable Energy Suppliers under Green Energy Option Program”. Further to these, the ERC issued ERC Resolution No. 08, Series of 2021 (the “ERC GEOP Rules”) which set out the detailed rules for the implementation of GEOP. The ERC GEOP Rules took effect on 03 September 2021. 

This Bulletin is being issued by IEMOP, as the Central Registration Body (CRB), to guide RE Suppliers in registration in the CRB and the WESM as required under Section 9.4 of Department Circular No. 2020-04-0009. The CRB shall issue a separate advisory for the process prior to and during the switch proper of end-users to GEOP.  

This Bulletin and subsequent bulletins issued by the CRB are for guidance only. Readers are encouraged to refer to the relevant issuances, as listed above, as well as to related provisions of the WESM Rules, Retail Rules, the WESM Registration Manual and other relevant market manuals.  

I. REGISTRATION OF RE SUPPLIERS 

IEMOP shall start accepting applications for registrations of RE Suppliers on 03 December 2021, or after the end of the 3-month transition period prescribed by Section 52 of ERC GEOP Rules. The implementation, however, is subject to the limitations referred to in this Advisory. 

Pursuant to DOE Circular No. DC2020-04-0009, RE Suppliers shall register in the WESM[1] under RE Supplier Category and as such must comply with WESM registration requirements. Subject to Paragraph II of this Advisory, below are the general requirements for registration of RE Suppliers under GEOP: 

a) Registration requirements in the WESM under RE Supplier Category;

b) Retail Electricity License issued by the ERC pursuant to the guidelines set under ERC Resolution No. 1, Series of 2011, as applicable[2];

c) GEOP Operating Permit issued by the DOE[3]; and

d) Proof of authority of RE Supplier’s representative[4] which should at least provide the following:

i. Identify the authorized representative; and

ii. Authority of the representative to execute, sign or deliver documents necessary to documents to comply with government and CRB’s requirements relating to GEOP and WESM.

a.   New Applicants

Entities intending to register as RE Suppliers, but which are not yet registered in the WESM or CRB under any registration category, shall comply with all the requirements for registration as WESM Direct Member and Customer Trading Participant. 

b.   Existing Registered Participants 

Retail Electricity Suppliers. Entities that are already registered in the WESM as Retail Electricity Suppliers (RES) but wish to register as an RE Supplier will be registered in the WESM under these two categories. As RE Supplier, it shall comply with all the requirements for registration as such, but documents that are already on file with IEMOP and are still valid will be considered to avoid duplicate submissions. If these documents are no longer valid or have been changed or amended in the meantime, the applicant shall submit the new documents. 

Prudential Requirement. The prudential requirements of entities that will register as RE Suppliers and are also registered as Retail Electricity Suppliers (RES) shall be calculated in accordance with prevailing market rules and manuals. Likewise, the provisions of ERC GEOP Rules and WESM Rules shall apply to the re-calculation of Prudential Requirements of the RES whose customer shifted to an RE supplier.

III. REFERENCES AND INQUIRIES

a.   Prescribed Forms and Templates

IEMOP shall issue a separate advisory on the prescribed forms and templates for your reference. 

b.   References

Copies of ERC GEOP Rules, DOE DC2018-07-0019 and DOE DC2020-04-0009 are attached to this Bulletin. 

c.   Data Privacy Policy

IEMOP processes relevant personal information in accordance with its data privacy policy. IEMOP’s Privacy Notice may be viewed or downloaded via https://www.iemop.ph/about/legal-and-privacy/.

d.   Inquiries