The Department of Energy (DOE) has pre-qualified nine companies looking to invest in microgrids under the competitive selection process (CSP) scheduled before the end of the year.
In an advisory issued Wednesday, those that made it include DMCI Power Corp., Smart Power Solutions Corp., Alternative Power Resource Holdings Inc., MSpectrum Inc., Maharlika Consortium, Powersource OEG Services Inc., One Renewable Energy Enterprise Inc., FP Island Energy Corp. and Vivant Energy Corp.
At stake are 98 unserved or underserved areas of the country clustered into 49 lots of 15,645 households.
Under the Microgrid Systems Act of 2022, the CSP is mandatory before microgrid system providers can serve off-grid areas. The law also requires distribution utilities to submit electrification roadmaps and a list of underserved areas.
Unserved areas do not have access to electricity, distribution system lines, individual home systems or any microgrid system connection. Underserved areas are those where electricity services are less than 24 hours a day served only by individual home or micro grid systems or distribution utilities. Micro grids have a limited network of electricity users with a local source of supply that can function even if it is not connected to the national grid.
The DOE said the CSP should soon commence with the winners announced in the first quarter next year.
The parameters in choosing the winning bidders include the ability to provide 24/7 electrification incorporating at least 35 percent renewable energy and at least cost to consumers.
