Bills may double over power supply shortfall

Sunday, January 22, 2012

POWER consumers have to brace for possible two-fold figure in their electric bills in the coming months as the Energy department may compel the electric cooperatives (ECs) and distribution utilities (DUs) to buy power from more expensive sources due to power shortfall in Mindanao.

Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives (AMRECO) executive director Clint Django Pacana said ECs and DUs have no other choice but to purchase more expensive power than no electricity at all.

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“AMRECO has declared in public that DUs in Mindanao are biting the bullet because of the tremendous lack of (power) supply. Meaning to say, DUs have no better course but avail of such power, because the choice is between paying premium for the available rare supply for the meantime or not avail of the supply at all,” Pacana said.

The Department of Energy (DOE) earlier said it would be compelled to ask the ECs and DUs to purchase power from more sources because Mindanao “does not have reserve power plants in the area (as power plants here) are currently under maintenance.”

However, Pacana said, DOE has to identify particular sources of power and not the Iligan Diesel Power Plant (IDPP) 1 and 2 owned by Iligan City government due that it is not yet operational until now.

Pacana said this issue has to be included in the discussion during the Mindanao Congress of the Advocates for Renewable Energy, Rural Electrification and Development (Min CARED) on January 26, 2012, at the Grand Caprice Restaurant in Limketkai Center, Cagayan de Oro.

Mindanao had a peak demand of 1,255 megawatts (MW) and an available capacity of 1,190 MW as of last week.

Mindanao experienced power shortages in 2010 after hydroelectric power plants were closed due to low water supply.