Submitted by:

Jasper D. Palma
Jobert A. Palmejar
Christian Joshua D. Peralta
Frederick P. Rebotabo
Michael Ernie F. Rodriguez
Edmar A. Rosel
Maria Perrene F. Solis
Mark Ken U. Verdin
Oliver D. Waban

Submitted to:
Engr. Antonio P. Asucion
 WHOLESALE ELECTRICITY SPOT MARKET

The Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) Rules establishes the basic rules,
requirements and procedures that govern the operation of the Philippine electricity market. The
WESM Rules identifies, recognizes and sets the responsibilities of the Market Operator, System
Operator, WESM Participants and the PEM Board. These groups shall comply with and are bound
by all the provisions of the WESM Rules. The WESM Rules are intended to be complimentary
with the Grid Code and Distribution Code, all of which are meant to ensure the development of an
appropriate, equitable and transparent electricity market, along with safe, reliable and efficient
operation of the power system.
Republic Act No. 9136, also known as the “Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001”
mandates the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish the WESM within one year from its
effectivity. The Act also mandates the DOE, jointly with the electric power industry participants,
to formulate the detailed rules for the WESM.
The WESM is the market where trading of electricity will be made. It shall be governed by
the Philippine Electricity Market Board (PEM Board). The PEM Board shall provide the policies
and guidelines of the WESM contained in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Act,
WESM Rules and such other relevant laws, rules and regulations.
The Market Operator, a non-stock, non-profit organization, shall administer the operation
of the WESM in accordance with the WESM Rules. For the first year, the Market Operator’s
functions shall be provided by the Autonomous Group Market Operator (AGMO) under the
administrative supervision of the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO). After the first
year, the Market Operator shall be an independent entity. Thereafter, the administrative
supervision of the TRANSCO over such entity shall cease.

What is WESM?
 The wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) is a venue for trading electricity as a
commodity.
 The WESM was created by virtue of Section 30 of Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise
known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001.
  WESM is where the generators sell their excess capacities not covered by contracts and
where the customers buy additional capacities on top of their contracts.
 EPIRA Section 30 further provides that “The market shall provide the mechanism for
identifying and setting the price of actual variations from the quantities transacted under
contracts between sellers and purchasers of electricity”.
 WESM aims to establish a competitive, efficient, transparent and reliable market for
electricity (WESM Rules Section 1.2.5)
 WESM operates in Luzon and Visayas.
 WESM provides another option for sourcing electricity requirements or selling capacities,
other than through bilateral contracts.
 Only spot transactions are calculated based on the WESM prices and schedule.
 Contractual transactions are settled outside of the WESM by the counterparties based on
their contract price.

Who are the WESM Stakeholders?

1. Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC)
 It acts as the Market Operator (MO) that administers the operation of the WESM.
PEMC also serves as the governance arm of the WESM.
 PEMC is a non-stock, non-profit, private corporation incorporated in November
2003 upon the initiative of the DOE with representatives from the various sectors
of the electric power industry to be the interim governance arm of the WESM.
2. National Grid Corporation (NGCP)
3. Department of Energy (DOE)
4. Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)
5. Power Generation Companies (GENCOs)
 It is authorized by the ERC to operate facilities used in the generation of electricity.
ERC issues a Certificate of Compliance (COC).
 A generating company may have power plants that are natural gas, geothermal,
hydro, coal, diesel/oil, biomass, wind and solar.
6. Distribution Utilities (DUs)
7. Directly Connected Customers (Bulk customers)
What are the Rules of WESM?
1. The WESM Rules shall provide the mechanism for identifying and setting the price of
actual variations from the quantities transacted under contracts between sellers and
purchasers of electricity. The WESM Rules shall include rules governing the central
scheduling and dispatch, and settlement of quantities sold and purchased under bilateral
contracts in order to identify variations therefrom. The WESM Rules shall also reflect
accepted economic principles and provide an open, competitive market for all WESM
Participants.
2. Jointly with the Electric Power Industry Participants, the DOE shall formulate the detailed
rules for the WESM, in accordance with the following principles:
A. Provide an efficient, competitive, transparent and reliable spot market;
B. Ensure efficient operation of the WESM by the Market Operator in coordination
with the system operator in a way which:
1. Minimizes adverse impacts on system security;
2. Encourages market participation; and
3. Enables access to the market.
C. Subject to the provisions of Section 43(u) of the Act, provide a cost-effective
framework for resolution of disputes among WESM Participants, and between
WESM Participants and the Market Operator;
D. Provide for adequate sanctions in cases of breaches of the WESM Rules; and
E. Provide efficient, transparent and fair processes for amending the WESM Rules.
3. The WESM Rules shall provide, among others, procedures for:
A. Establishing the Merit Order Dispatch Instructions for each time period for Central
Dispatch;
B. Determining the market-clearing price for each time period;
C. Administering the market, including criteria for admission to and termination from
the market which includes security of performance bond requirements, voting
rights of the participants, surveillance and assurance of compliance of the
participants with the rules and the formation of the WESM governing body;
D. Prescribing guidelines for the market operation in system emergencies;
 E. Amending the WESM Rules; and
F. Establishing the transition to full implementation of the WESM.
4. Methodology for Price Determination.
The WESM Rules shall provide the mechanism for determining the price of electricity not
covered by bilateral contracts between sellers and purchasers of electricity. The price
determination methodology contained in the WESM Rules shall be subject to the approval
of the ERC.

How is Electricity Traded in the WESM?

1. Generators submit online hourly offers thru the Market Management System (MMS).
Offers are submitted by accessing the Market Participant interface of the MMS through the
Generator’s computers installed with digital certificates.
2. PEMC, the Market Operator (MO), matches the offers of generators with the demand of
customers thru the MMS.
3. Prices of electricity traded in the WESM are determined based on the ERC-approved Price
Determination Methodology.

The Market Operator

1. A Market Operator in accordance with the WESM Rules shall implement the WESM. Not
later than one year after the implementation of the WESM, an independent entity, the IMO,
shall be formed and the functions, assets and liabilities of the AGMO shall be transferred
to such entity with the joint endorsement of the DOE and the Electric Power Industry
Participants: Provided, That the IMO shall be financially and technically capable, with
proven experience and expertise of not less than two years as a leading independent market
operator of similar or larger size electricity market.
2. Subject to Technical Constraints, the grid operator of the TRANSCO or its Buyer or
Concessionaire shall provide Central Dispatch of all Generation Facilities connected,
directly or indirectly, to the transmission system in accordance with the dispatch schedule
submitted by the Market Operator, which schedule shall take into account outstanding
bilateral contracts.
3. The Market Operator shall have the following functions and responsibilities:
 A. Operate and administer the WESM and allocate resources to enable it to operate
and administer the market, in accordance with the WESM Rules;
B. Determine the dispatch schedule of all facilities in accordance with the WESM
Rules. Such schedule shall be submitted to the grid operator of the TRANSCO or
its Buyer or Concessionaire;
C. Monitor daily trading activities in the market;
D. Oversee transaction billing and settlement procedures; and
E. Maintain and publish a register of all WESM Participants and must update and
publish the register whenever a Person becomes or ceases to be a WESM
Participant.

Constitution of the Autonomous Group Market Operator (AGMO)

The DOE shall, within one year from the effectivity of the Act, constitute the AGMO which shall
undertake the preparatory work and initial operation of the WESM.
1. AGMO Governing Board
The AGMO shall be governed, and its powers and functions exercised, by a governing
body with equitable representation from Electric Power Industry Participants. The
representatives of the AGMO governing body shall be selected, in accordance with the
WESM Rules. The DOE Secretary shall chair the AGMO.
2. Composition
Any sectoral representation on the AGMO governing body should as far as possible meet
the following criteria:
A. Representatives of each sector of the Philippine electric power industry on the
governing body should be reflective of that sector’s size in relation to the electric
industry as a whole;
B. The number of representatives of each sector of the Philippine electric power
industry should be such that no one sector of the industry can dominate proceedings
or decision-making by the governing body; and be selected in such a way that
deadlocks in decision making will be avoided; and
C. There should be independent members on the governing body.
 3. Powers and Duties
The following are the powers and duties of the AGMO governing body:
A. Govern the operation of the WESM until the formation or the selection of an IMO;
B. Develop and adopt guidelines for the efficient, competitive, transparent and reliable
management and operation of the market in accordance with WESM Rules;
C. Adopt and set internal procedures for the conduct of meetings and determination of
a quorum; and
D. Perform the preparatory work (information technology system development,
testing and trial operation) and initial operation of the WESM with support from
the DOE.
4. Not later than one year after the implementation of the WESM, the AGMO shall transfer
its functions, assets and liabilities to the IMO.

How are Dispatch Schedules Implemented?

1. The MO submits the resulting dispatch schedules to NGCP, the System Operator (SO), for
central dispatch.
2. Electricity is produced (generators) / consumed (customers).
3. The DUs, participating in the WESM as wholesale customers, distribute electricity to the
end-users.

How Do WESM Rates Affect Electricity Bills?

 WESM rates are part of generation charge billed by distribution utilities to their customers.

What are the Benefits of WESM?

1. Encourages competition in the generation sector.
2. Promotes transparency and accurate information on electricity costs.
3. Provides signals for investment opportunities.
Market Fees
1. The cost of administering and operating the WESM shall be recovered by the IMO through
a charge imposed on all WESM Participants or WESM transactions, provided such charge
shall be filed with and approved by the ERC, consistent with the WESM Rules.
2. The structure of Market Fees should be transparent and should not discriminate against a
category or categories of WESM Participants.
3. Upon the approval of ERC, the Market Operator shall publish the structure of Market Fees,
the methods used in determining the structure and an assessment of the extent to which the
structure complies with the principles specified above, at least three months prior to the
implementation of WESM.

Market Suspension
In cases of national or international security emergencies or natural calamities, the ERC is
empowered to suspend the operation of the WESM or declare a temporary WESM failure in
accordance with the procedures set out in the WESM Rules.