THE preconstruction of the Visayas-Mindanao Interconnection Project has already began ushering a new era in the power industry of Mindanao.

Mindanao's connection point will be at Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, which will be linked by a 92 kilometer submarine cable to Santander, Cebu. There will also be converter station in Sibonga, Cebu and Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur. The project has an estimated cost of P52 million.

For a long time, Mindanao has been isolated from the national grid. During the times it needed power the most, its electric cooperatives and distribution utilities were unable to get the needed supply because they can't find a source in the island and can't tap the available sources in Visayas and Luzon.

Once completed in 2020, Mindanao will be able to enjoy a more stable power grid as the power distributors here will be able to tap to available power resources in Visayas and Mindanao.

With Mindanao enjoying a surplus of power resources in the coming years, the power plants here will also be fully maximized by other electric cooperatives and distribution utilities outside of Luzon and Visayas.

With this new development, Mindanao can expect a better power sector that will ensure its development. Hopefully, the different communities connected to the main grid will experience less power outages and have a more stable power supply.