In the wake of W. Visayas power outages
TACLOBAN CITY – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan here in Leyte has passed a resolution asking all five power cooperatives operating in the province to provide them with their respective report on the status of their operations and plans for the year.
The move, authored by board member Carlo Loreto of the fifth district, came in the wake of power outages that hit Western Visayas for four days last week.
By asking for their plans and operations, any possible outage that may occur in the province could be addressed this early, Loreto said.
“We asked them through a resolution to provide us a report about their projection on the power needed in their respective area of operation and also to provide us information on what power purchase agreement that they have contracted,” he Friday(Jan.5) said.
“We are also asking them to include in their report their necessary steps or fall back in case there will be a shortage of supply on the energy provided under the power purchase agreement,” Loreto, a former vice governor, added.
Loreto further said that they would ask from the five power cooperatives to present the report personally before them during a session so that they could answer queries or clarifications from the members of the provincial board.
He added that presenting the current energy situation of the province, its requirements, and plans is important because it will benefit the power consumers.
During the New Year’s Day celebration, a series of power outages were experienced in areas service by the Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative (Dorelco) where power interruption was experienced for about six hours.
Dorelco management, in an advisory, explained that the problem originated from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and had asked the transmission company to provide them with explanations on the power outage.
The NGCP, in its reply dated January 2, said that they experienced problem with the transmission line that carries electricity from the power generation to the distribution line of the electric cooperative that resulted in the unscheduled power outage during New Year’s Day.
Also during their session, the provincial board approved and endorsed a resolution granting the request of San Miguel Global Power Energy Inc., for the establishment of a 20MW battery energy storage system (BESS) plant in Tabango, Leyte.
Loreto said that the facility is important in stabilizing power supply as it stabilizes power distribution.
“With this facility, it will store the energy generated by power plants and ensure steady distribution of power supply,” Loreto shares.
ROEL T. AMAZONA
