Power retailer Manila Electric Co. said Friday it started the competitive selection process or bidding for 480 megawatts of supply to address the increase in demand next year.
The Department of Energy approved the terms of reference for two CSPs involving Meralco’s 300-MW peaking requirement from Feb. 26, 2023 to July 25, 2023 and 180-MW baseload supply from Feb. 26, 2023 to Feb. 25, 2024.
Meralco said the timely approval of the TOR would help the power distributor ensure the availability of reliable, stable and least cost-supply for 7.6 million customers especially during the dry months.
The Meralco third-party bids and awards committee called interested generation companies to participate in the CSP for the two contracts.
Meralco said the submission of expression of interest for the contracts is until Jan. 5, 2023, and a pre-bid conference would be held on Jan. 12, 2023.
The bid submission deadline for the 180-MW contract capacity and the 300-MW contract capacity is on Feb. 1, 2023 and Feb. 2, 2023, respectively.
Meralco advised the public to practice electrical safety to ensure bright and hassle-free celebration in the holiday season.
Meralco said it personnel would be on standby to respond to any power-related emergency.
Contingency measures are in place should pyrotechnics, firecracker explosions and even weather disturbances affect distribution facilities, it said.
Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga cautioned the public against using firecrackers and party props such as balloons and confetti near power lines.
“We advise the public not to play with firecrackers and pyrotechnics near electric lines and transformers as these may cause power interruptions and even result in accidents,” Zaldarriaga said.
The company said overhead lines are vulnerable to firecracker explosions and pyrotechnics.