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Thursday, July 06, 2006
Visayas grid posts highest energy growth sales in 1st quarter
THE Visayas grid registered the highest growth in energy sales among the three major grids in the country in January to March 2006, the Sales and Services Group of the National Power Corporation (NPC) reported.
The growth rate in energy sales was recorded at 11.76 percent, or from 1,036.21 gigawatt-hours (GWh) during the first quarter of 2005 to 1,158.05 GWh of the same period this year. A gigawatt-hour is equivalent to one million kilowatt-hours.
The double-digit growth rate in energy sales in the region is twice as high as the projected 5.5 percent growth in the country's Gross Domestic Product, the report noted.
"This is a clear indication that (Visayas') economy is improving, and that the demand for power will continually increase, (thus) necessitating the installation of additional power generating facilities", the report added.
The Visayan Electric Company, Inc, Mactan Electric Company, Philippine Phospate Fertilizer Corporation, Central Negros Electric Cooperative, and Iloilo 1 Electric Cooperative, Inc. were among the identified bulk power users that propelled the high energy sales growth in the Visayas.
With the improved economic dispatch of power plants and increased energy sales, the NPC reported that customers in the Visayas grid will enjoy a reduction in the Deferred Accounting Adjustment (DAA) portion of their power bills.
Recently, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approved the 6th Generation Rate Adjustment Mechanism (GRAM) DAA of P0.3203 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) that replaced the 5th GRAM DAA of P0.4598 per kWh beginning the billing month of June 2006 (May 26 to June 25, 2006). This will continue for the next five (5) months or until a new GRAM DAA is approved by the ERC under a new application by National Power, whichever comes first.
According to NPC the recent approval will result to savings amounting to P0.1395 per kilowatt-hour or a reduction in the effective selling rate from P3.3654 per kWh to P3.2259 per kWh.
The full amount of P0.1395 per kWh savings shall be obtained by end-consumers should their distribution utility purchases its entire load requirement from National Power while only a proportionate share of the savings may be realized if the distribution utility sources part of its requirement from other suppliers, the NPC said. (Press release)
(July 6, 2006 issue)
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