Energeia is helping rewrite the for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) across the Philippines

Problem/Context

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine government are teaming up to deliver Energy Secure Philippines (ESP), a five-year project to develop an environmentally cleaner, more secure, and more resilient Philippine energy sector. A key initiative within the ESP program will be the deployment of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). This technology will facilitate secure, resilient, and automated communication between utilities and their customers.

Service/Results

USAID contracted Energeia to provide bespoke research and subject matter expertise to support ongoing AMI regulation updates to align the Philippines with international industry standards and identify best practices. Up-to-date regulations informed by best practice research  support a cost-effective and efficient transition to a smart metering system.

Energeia evaluated over 80 international studies on AMI to identify industry trends in the deployment, regulation, and cost-effectiveness of widespread AMI rollouts. This best practice research found that rollouts using a maximize net benefits and more fairly allocate costs to benefits by allowing customers to gain early access for a fee. A ‘new and replacement’ strategy limits smart meter deployment to new buildings and end-of-life replacements, protecting utilities and customers from the sunk costs of replacing the previous generation of meters before their end-of-life.

In addition to this insight, Energeia found that successful deployment of AMI is also contingent on customer education, data security and privacy, organizational change management, and proactive benefits management.

Energeia also surveyed 144 Filipino distribution utilities to assess the current state of AMI readiness and identify key priorities and concerns. Most respondents reported that their smart grid plans are ongoing or not yet started, with nearly 75% of respondents reporting a planned AMI rollout within the next 5-10 years.

Outcome

Following the review of international best practices and survey outcomes, Energeia  recommended AMI regulation updates for the Philippines to align with industry standards and support a successful deployment of AMI across the country.

The updated regulations by the Philippine Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in April 2023 and are currently in the public consultation stage. Energeia is providing ongoing support to USAID and the ERC throughout this process until the updated AMI rules are fully in effect.