Ceneco: No solution yet on power shortage

A POWER forum conducted by the City Government of Bacolod and Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) Tuesday never reached a concrete and immediate solution to the power shortage experienced for so long in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.
 
Mayor Evelio Leonardia, with some incumbent and incoming councilors and department heads, were briefed by Ceneco officials led by its president Engineer Ed Gasambelo and manager Engineer Jun Lagarde regarding power supply in the province.

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The brownout will stay even until the completion of the repair works at the Palinpinon on June 23, 2010, said Gasambelo, as he foresee normalcy of the power supply either by October to the 1st quarter of 2011.
 
Ceneco lacks 40 megawatts of power supply everyday and a “power rationing” is being undertaken, said Lagarde.
 
The lack of power supply has been anticipated since 2001 and initiatives were taken to address this power shortage. But all these initiatives failed because of an overwhelming opposition from various sectors. And now many are suffering from the long brownouts, Gasambelo stressed.
 
There is nothing that can be done to address the lack of power but rains can help assuage the impact of long brownouts. “One degree rise in temperature is equivalent to 20 megawatts,” Gasambelo explained.
 
He said Negros lacks power supply and its growth rate is unprecedented, having more or less 11 percent to 12 percent growth rate.
 
For now the peak requirement is at 108 megawatts and three years from now, it will become 135 megawatts.
 
Lagarde also said that Ceneco is being accused of enjoying the brownouts. He, however, said that it is not true as Ceneco losses P8.6 million to P9 million a day of brownout or P200 per second of brownout.

Nine of the 10 callers in the Ceneco hotlines are threatening Ceneco during brownouts, saying “they are paying their bills but they get no power in return.”
  
Gasambelo said Ceneco is open to all power investors, including the sugar mills, which can be a potential co-power generator.
 
They also urged incoming President Noynoy Aquino to review the privatization efforts of the National Government on the National Power Corporation as the consumers will surely shoulder higher cost of power in the future.

They will also conduct a road show to get support from the local government officials regarding the Epira law, wherein its chief purpose of reducing power cost has not been achieved.
 
It’s time that local government unit officials will help in looking for solutions to the power needs of the country.
 
Meanwhile, Mayor Leonardia said he was hoping there’s something solid that can be reached in the forum.

For the meantime, however, the consumers are urged to consider doing the practical tips of saving power.
 
Leonardia said Ceneco and the city will be closely coordinating in so far as their future plans of the power supply are concerned. He will create a special committee to attend to this concern.
 
Ceneco officials even told Leonardia to increase their budget for power by next year as the generation charge will increase by P1 per kilowatt hour.
 
The city has earmarked a monthly budget of P3,790,877.86 to its power consumption. But with the new generation charge comes in by 2011, the city will be constrained to increase its budget to P5,151,810.50.
 
Leonardia said he will task Secretary to the Mayor Rodel Parcon to study deeper the proposed increase. (Carla N. Cañet)