The two consumer groups in central Negros Occidental lauded Negros Energy and Power Corporation (NEPC or Negros Power) for its swift action in restoring Alijis substation supply.
The Power Watch Negros (PWN), through its Secretary-General Wennie Sancho, and the Utilities Consumers Advocate for Reforms (UCARE) through its Convenor Roy Cordova, in separate statements to the media, expressed their gratitude "to the concern showed by Negros Power to the 48,000 affected homes" due to the breakdown of the 13-year-old Alijis substation facility.
"The inconvenience brought about by the recent power interruptions in Brgy. Alijis, Bacolod City, and other affected areas were disrupted. But the case of a busted transformer that was the root cause of the blackout must be investigated, to prevent the occurrence of the same incident in the future," PWN SecGen Sancho said, adding that, "with the risk of power outages in the future, it is crucial for Negros Power to assess the aging equipment of CENECO in terms of its utility value. It is hard to swallow the truth that the energy infrastructure of CENECO is vulnerable and is undermaintained or its distribution lines are weak, and more likely to experience system scale failures. This is a big challenge for the rehabilitation program of Negros Power."
"On the other hand, how the power system is restored after a sudden blackout is a complex process. However, when we help restore power in the franchise area of Negros Power, after a brownout, we are not just fixing a technical issue. We are saving lives, keeping the business running, and preventing major economic losses," Sancho also said.
"The ability to quickly restore power after a blackout is crucial for maintaining a resilient power system. Power system restoration is a highly intricate process, involving multiple steps, numerous operational decisions, and complex technical constraints, making it a challenging task," he added.
"We have to learn more about the remarkable efforts of the Negros Power technical working force under the direct supervision of Mr. Roel Castro, President and CEO of Negros Power, who ensure that the light stays on. At the top of their operation is to implement the safe and efficient reestablishment of electricity services and to recover power supply for the consumers as fast as possible to reduce the negative impact of power outages," he added.
Negros Power, with the cooperation of the consumers, will make significant strides in ensuring reliable power supply in the implementation of its 5-year Development Plan. On the power outages in Brgy. Alijis, the Negros Power had clearly explained the issue for the public to understand. The rehabilitation and modernization program for CENECO will gain social acceptance to build the power infrastructure to meet our needs. This is based on the premise that stability in power supply, coupled with competitive electricity rates, attracts industrial and commercial investments that will generate job opportunities, and will raise the workers' purchasing power to generate consumer spending. This will pump prime the economy of the Negros Island Region (NIR)," Sancho also said in his statement.
UCARE
On the other hand, UCARE said that it is "grateful to Negros Power for all the efforts done for the early restoration and reenergization of electric power for the consumers covered by the feeders of Alijis sub-station. The immediate arrival of the 10MVA mobile substation from MORE Power Iloilo and the installation and connection to the Alijis substation enabled NEPC to solve urgently the power woes brought about by the breakdown of the aging power transformer of Ceneco."
"The precision undertaken by Negros Power to restore electricity is indeed proving that NEPC is a distribution utility that will be trusted for the supply of reliable power.
Congratulations to the men and women of NEPC for the job well done. We are looking forward to your 'Service Beyond Power' will continue to the satisfaction of consumers," UCARE said in the statement signed by Cordova, its convenor. (TDE)