THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ordered the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) to conduct another conference with the intervenors in Bacolod City on their application for approval of over/under recoveries totaling P414.6 million.
Lawyer Rhett Roswell Mislang, ERC hearing officer, said Monday that before they will release a position paper or memoranda, they want some more clarifications first from Ceneco and the intervenors.
Mislang, along with Ceneco, consumer-members, and the intervenor Social Action Center (SAC) held a hearing at Ceneco’s principal office in Bacolod City.
He said the over/under recoveries also happened in all other distribution utilities in the country.
In 2012, Ceneco had filed an application for approval of over/under recoveries in the implementation of automatic cost adjustments and true-up mechanisms and corresponding confirmation process under ERC Resolution No. 16, Series of 2009, as amended by Resolution No. 21, Series of 2010.
The over/under recoveries covered the period from 2004 to 2011.
Mislang said that in previous hearings, Ceneco already presented its witnesses and documents.
“Supposedly, the intervenors will present their witnesses for opposing the application of Ceneco, but they only manifested to submit their position papers,” he said.
He added it was discussed that Ceneco should conduct another conference to explain their application to the intervenors and to the public so they can submit clear position papers.
After the conference, the ERC will evaluate the position papers of Ceneco and the intervenors.
“We will evaluate their position papers to determine if we need to conduct another set of hearings,” Mislang said.
SAC legal officer Vicente Petierre said they will continue to oppose the application of Ceneco.
He said it’s highly technical and they need more time to discuss the matter.
“It is a good thing that the commission ordered Ceneco to hold another conference with the intervenors,” he added.