Friday, June 10, 2016
By
ERWIN P. NICAVERA
A BUSINESS group in Negros Occidental has asked the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) to take action on the power disruption woes in its area of jurisdiction that result in unscheduled brownouts.
In a letter dated June 9, a copy of which was obtained by Sun.Star Bacolod, Frank Carbon, regional governor of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental, told Ceneco general manager Sulpicio Lagarde Jr. to act on the reported grid disruptions that induce regular power shortage.
Carbon asked Ceneco to hold a meeting with other electric distribution utilities and representatives of the Department of Energy (DOE)-Visayas and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to discuss the veracity of the report.
"Unscheduled brownouts disrupt business operations and damage our equipment," the business leader said, asking that "if it is true, how can it be corrected?"
The last unscheduled brownout hit Silay City between Tuesday and Thursday after one of the substation transformers in the northern Negros city bogged down.
For its part, the DOE earlier said that line congestion is building up in Negros Occidental due to many solar power plants operating in the province.
The abrupt influx of solar power plants is causing the main line, transmission and interconnection lines to congest, it added.
Both the DOE and the NGCP have assured public that they are taking their respective measures to address power congestion woes in Visayas, particularly Negros Occidental.
Meanwhile, Carbon also brought to the attention of Lagarde that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has already completed the widening projects in portions of San Juan Street, Burgos Street, and North Capitol Road, all in Bacolod City.
Carbon relayed the request of DPWH to Ceneco to initiate the transfer of the electrical posts situated in the middle of the widened roads.
"We are hoping that Ceneco, particularly Lagarde, will take a look at the requests of the business community," he added.
Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on June 10, 2016.
