Lee said that this ambiguity suggests that SPSB will still be able to set up projects anywhere in the country. Increasing access to clean energy is possible only through the sustained, multi-sectoral efforts where everyone operates fairly and transparently.”Ĭlaire Lee, vice president of PSSEA, told PV Tech that the association had been pushing for a rework of the franchise’s scope so that it focused purely on underserved and unserved areas, rather than across the whole country, but the approved bill reads that SPSB can operate “in areas to be determined by DOE including unserved and underserved areas”. The Philippines Solar and Energy Storage Alliance (PSSEA) had proposed amendments to the Bill, opening with this statement: “The goal of providing electricity for all cannot and should not be the sole domain of any one company. Local solar industry decries ‘railroaded’ bill The locals had faced frequent brownouts and just 3-8 hours of electricity per day if any, but the new mini-grid is offering 24/7 power at cheaper rates and could be a symbol of things to come to other parts of the country under the new franchise. The economics of rural electrification using microgrids should be considered an investment for the future, akin to how Silicon Valley tech providers plough money into initially loss-leading products and services, Leviste has said of his strategy. PV Tech recently visited a solar-storage-diesel micro-grid set up by SPSB in Paluan, a previously heavily underserved area in terms of power supply on the island of Mindoro.

Leandro Leviste, founder and CEO of Solar Philippines, who was present at the vote today and confirmed the news to PV Tech, insists that he wants other players to come forward and follow suit, but much of the rest of the industry has called it out as merely replacing one monopoly (the utilities), with another monopoly in the form of a single private solar company.

The House Bill has been at the centre of heated debates both in the media and politicly and has come up against intense opposition from most of the rest of the solar industry.Īmong a long list of arguments on both sides, one of the key points is whether the bill would create a monopoly. Today the second reading was passed through a vote and the bill now only has to go through a third reading in the next couple of days, where it is possible certain amendments may be introduced, including factors relating to the scope of the franchise. There are three steps in Congress: a first reading through the Committee a second reading involving a debate on the floor and a third reading, which is a confirmation of the final draft of the bill. The House Bill (HB 8179) allows Solar Philippines, operating under the name Solar Para Sa Bayan (SPSB) ‘Solar for the country’, what is described as a non-exclusive franchise offering an alternative energy source from traditional utilities to Filipinos. UPDATED: A controversial House Bill granting private Filipino firm Solar Philippines a PV mini-grid and transmission franchise across the Philippines has all but passed through Congress, with only a procedural third step left to confirm the final draft of the Bill.

Solar grids franchise