DAVAO CITY—The Department of Energy (DOE) is now gearing for smart grid market technology on the power sector in the country.
DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the smart grid will empower electricity consumers using the information communication technology gadgets.
“Smart grid will empower you as smartphone users to control your gadgets,” he said.
According to energy.gov, smart grid refers to a class of technology people are using to bring utility electricity delivery systems into the 21st century, using computer-based remote control and automation.
“We cannot develop a well-informed decision maker in the consumer without knowing how much the generators are producing, whether it is conventional or renewable. We cannot empower them if they don’t know how the transmission works,” he said.
He said the technology will promote fairness and transparency on the part of the consumers and accountability on the part of service and generation providers.
“We have to develop a market that embraces a system that has transparency, fair in the field and accountability, the fault if there is a problem on the power distribution will be now pinpointed,” he said.
According to Fuentebella, there will be a system operator and market operator as soon as this technology is implemented in the country. He added that such sophisticated technology requires a spot market and renewable energy market (REM).
Fuentebella said the DOE is now conducting series of consultation for the REM in the Philippines, which they started Wednesday in Davao City.
For Mindanao, he said DoE is trying to fast-track things since the island still has no electricity spot market. The spot market is a requirement for the REM and both markets are needed for the smart grid.
He said the DoE has targeted to open the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) in Mindanao June of next year to catch up on the proposed smart grid. (Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA)
