DOE to cancel over 50 renewable energy contracts

The Department of Energy (DOE) will cancel at least 50 service contracts on renewable energy by companies that failed to submit certain requirements, an energy official said Tuesday. “We've re-evaluated them and found that some of them just failed to fulfill reportorial requirements. They're compliant but they just failed to submit," Energy director Mario Marasigan said. Early this month, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said the department will cancel more than 10 contracts. “We have given them up to end of this month to comply. We have the list already of names of companies that would be cancelled," said Almendras. He added that cancelled service contracts will subsequently be offered anew to other investors. He said companies that used to own these contracts would be allowed to join the new bidding process as long as they would comply with DOE requirements. “The industry sees this as a step forward. When I entered the DOE, the industry players requested for the review of the contract areas and contracts to see if there [is] compliance [with] the laws," Almendras said. One of the first moves of Almendras when he assumed office was order a comprehensive review of all service contracts. The DOE late last year warned renewable energy service contractors to make good on their work programs and comply with the requirements of law. — With Paterno Esmaquel II/VS, GMA News