Section 12Sec./Art. 12

Powers, Functions, and Responsibilities of the Department of Energy. In addition to its functions under Republic Act No. 7638, otherwise known as the Department of Energy Act of 1992, as amended, the DOE shall:

(a) Prepare and publish annually on its website the NTER, upon consultation with public and private stakeholders;

(b) Provide a simplified and streamlined permitting process for MGSPs and DU operated microgrid systems within the time frame specified in Section 19 of this Act;

(c) Determine which DUs it may cluster for the quarterly submissions of LTERs and DDPs as well as the quarterly conduct of CSPs;

(d) Determine, in consultation with DUs, the time frame for compliance with their respective LTERs and DDPs: Provided, That all projects in each annual work plan shall be completed not later than eighteen (18) months from submission to the DOE or, in the case of DU identified unserved areas, from the lapse of the thirty (30)-calendar day period for MGSPs to tender an all-in price offer pursuant to Section 9 of this Act;

(e) Receive and verify petitions from end-users, who are currently residing in an unserved or underserved area not identified or included by the DU in it LTER or not declared by the DOE as such, to declare such area as an unserved or underserved areas;

(f) Identify and declare regularly unserved and underserved areas based on the NTER, and the DUs LTER and DDP and its compliance with the time frame provided therein, taking into consideration the petitions it has received from end-users pursuant to this section, through the issuance of a list of such areas not later than September of every year, with the assistance of the NPC and NEA and in consultation with DUs in accordance with Section 8 of this Act: Provided, That the list shall also indicate the target date of distribution grid extension by the DU for the DOE declared unserved and underserved areas, if any: Provided, further, That the DOE shall validate any unserved and underserved area that is not included in the LTER of the DU before it can identify such included in the LTER of the DU before it can identify such area as a DOE declared unserved or underserved area;

(g) Prepare, in consultation with the ERC, standard templates for MSCs to be utilized in all CSPs;

(h) Conduct all CSPs for DOE declared unserved and underserved areas with the assistance of the NPC and NEA in accordance with the assistance of the NPC and NEA in accordance with Section 8 of this Act: Provided, That the DOE may authorize the NPC and NEA to conduct CSPs on its behalf: Provided, further, That the NPC and NEA shall, if authorized by the DOE to conduct CSPs, strictly comply with the procedure, guidelines, and timeframe for CSPs indicated in this Act;

(i) Monitor the operations of all awarded MGSPs and their respective MSCs: Provided, That the DOE, motu propio or upon complaint, may conduct a review of an MGSPs operations and its corresponding MSC should it find reasonable grounds for noncompliance with the minimum technical and service performance standards and other provisions of the MSC;

(k) Determine a detailed procedure for the transition of service from the NPC or a DU to an MGSP, or from an MGSP to a DU or another MGSP, whichever is applicable: Provided, That such transition shall not exceed ninety (90) calendar days from the completion of the CSP; and

(l) Perform such other powers and functions as may be necessary to attain the objectives of this Act.