CEBUANOS face the risk of soaring electricity bills as global fuel prices climb, prompting a consumer group to call for an overhaul of the province’s power supply toward locally sourced renewable energy.
The Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates (Cera) said in a statement that local power distributors and the national grid operator must reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and prioritize indigenous renewable sources to cushion consumers from global price shocks.
Cera convenor Nathaniel Chua said escalating tensions in Iran destabilized global energy benchmarks, exposing Cebu’s economy to price volatility due to heavy reliance on coal, liquefied natural gas, and oil.
“Our utilities are currently tethered to a sinking ship,” Chua said, saying that the pass-through pricing system allows fuel price increases to be reflected directly in consumer bills.
The group challenged Cebu’s main distribution utilities — Visayan Electric Company, Cebu Electric Cooperative and Mactan Electric Company — to increase the share of locally generated solar, wind and geothermal power in supply portfolios.
Chua said sharp increases in global fuel prices exist, with the Asian natural gas index surging to about $25 per million British thermal units, while coal prices rose to around $140 per metric ton.
He said about half of Cebu’s local power generation comes from coal plants in the cities of Toledo and Naga, leaving the province vulnerable to what he described as “war-time pricing.”
Cera also called on the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to fast-track upgrades to transmission interconnections linking Cebu with Negros and Mindanao.
“Cebu is surrounded by renewable-rich neighbors, yet we are starving for affordable power,” Chua said. He said delays in submarine cable and transmission projects prevent the province from accessing cheaper indigenous energy sources.
The group said the Energy Regulatory Commission should require utilities to source a higher percentage of power from local renewable plants and conduct a performance audit of NGCP progress on key interconnection projects in the Visayas and Mindanao.
As a relief measure, Cera said Congress should permanently remove the value-added tax on electricity bills to ease inflationary pressure on households.
“We are entering the hottest months of the year with some of the highest fuel prices in history,” Chua said.
“If action is not taken now, Cebuano families will continue paying the cost of global conflicts through their power bills,” he said. / PR