Sectors call for review of Epira snowball

MORE sectors are now calling for the review and revision of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira), which has kept the government's hands tied despite the onslaught of the power crisis in Mindanao and the unstable supply of power in Luzon and Visayas.

Lawyer Adel Tamano said the next Congress, which will be elected in May 2010, will have to review and amend the Epira law.

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"There is no law so sacrosanct that it cannot be subject to amendments, not even the Epira law," Tamano said, adding that the law has drastically failed as it has not provided the competitive environment it has been expected to.

Meanwhile, the Mindanao Electric Power Alliance has started urging its members to utilize their own power generators at a specific time during the day to help reduce power demand in the Mindanao grid.

Senatorial candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for his part, has also called for the review of the Epira law, citing the need for such investments to be carried out by the government and not left to the private sector.

"It is government that can easily cough up such large investments without having to hasten its return," Marcos said.

The peculiarity of the Mindanao situation is brought about by the cheap power rates in the island as it is greatly dependent on hydro. Analysts have pointed out that the cheap power rate is a blessing for the consumers but a curse for investors who are apprehensive due to the slow return of investment.

As of Monday, the power supply gap in Mindanao has already reached 688 megawatts or 38 megawatts more compared to the 650 power supply gap last Friday.