A LOCAL business leader asserted the need to let the Department of Energy (DOE) conduct a study first as the debate on whether or not to allow the entry of coal-fired power plants in Negros Occidental continues.
Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), said they have been asking the DOE to make a study on the power need of Negros to avoid the speculating and guessing game.
Carbon, also the chair of the Infrastructure Development Committee of the Provincial Development Council (PDC), said the committee has submitted a resolution urging the energy department to sit down with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and five electric cooperatives in the island to form a power security plan for Negros.
“It should be the DOE who will make the study on whether we need all green or mix energy sources as they are the ones having the technical data,” he said, adding that “whatever their recommendation is as long as for the good of our power industry, we will support.”
“The PDC is currently having its Provincial Development and Investment Plan meeting for 2020 to 2022 programs and projects,” he said.
The province’s power situation might be tackled during the meeting.
Citing the importance of power for the growth of the business sector, MBCCI said there is a need to have a properly studied power security plan.
This will enable the province to determine what sources of power, whether fully green or a mix of renewable or conventional energy sources like coal, are needed, the business group said.
Carbon said he believes that Negros Occidental is not yet ready to source out 100 percent of its power requirement from solar plants.
“It might still take some time, maybe three to four years,” he said.
Also, there is still an oversupply of solar power in the province due to the absence of the grid impact study as well as storage capacity resulting in power glut, Carbon added.
“Our utmost concern is power security, it doesn’t have to be very cheap,” he said, adding that if the DOE pushes for renewable energy sources then “we have to work for that.”
Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. has remained firm on opposing the entry of coal-fired power plants in Negros Occidental.
In fact, the committee on energy of the Provincial Board of Negros Occidental is set to conduct a hearing on November 21, on the proposed ordinance banning coal in the province.
This came after San Miguel Global Power Holdings Inc. expressed interest to put up a 300-megawatt coal plant in San Carlos City.
Even the church and other groups are strongly denouncing the proposed development.
However, Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who is from San Carlos, earlier manifested openness on having a mix of energy generation in the province.
"I think we have to do some combinations," Lacson said. (EPN)