DOE adopts power contingency measures

The Department of Energy (DOE) and its allied government and private sector entities have arrived at contingency measures to ensure adequate power for the May 10 automated elections.

In preparation for the automated polls, which are less than two weeks away, the Energy department said that it has completed plans to ensure  for upcoming elections reliable and uninterrupted electric power supply in Mindanao.

The Energy department, in the past few months in particular,  embarked on initiatives to ensure electric power supply in the country from May 8 to 12. But, with the limited power supply in Mindanao, the efforts to provide adequate power have been focused on the period May 9 to 11.

That period has been identified by the Energy department as the most critical during the polls.

In the stakeholders’ meeting held in Mindanao, the Energy department had said that an additional 400 to 500 megawatts of power will supplement the installed capacity on the southern island through the management of the water elevation in Lake Lanao, the increase of the generation outputs of power plants (Iligan Diesel Power Plant 1, Southern Philippines Power Corp., and Western Mindanao Power Corp.), the introduction of private power generators and the voluntary load dropping of energy-intensive industries.

Power-intensive companies

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, the operator of the country’s power transmission highway, has provided a list of identified industries that are power-intensive.

These companies include Holcim Philippines Inc.-Luga-it Plant, Holcim Philippines Inc.-Davao Plant, Global Steel Philippines Inc., Treasure Steelworks Corp., Pilmico Foods Corp., Mabuhay Vinyl Corp., Elegan Chemical Alloy Corp., Mindanao Silicon Metal Corp., Iligan Cement Corp., Wilmar-Zamboanga, Wilmar-Gingoog, Dole Philippines Inc., Pacific Cement Corp., South Cotabato I Electric Co-op. Inc., South Cotabato II Electric Co-op. Inc., Zamboanga del Norte Electric Co-op. Inc., Zamboanga City Electric Co-op. Inc., Agusan del Norte Electric Co-op. Inc., Zamboanga del Sur I Electric Co-op. Inc., Cotabato Light and Power Co. Inc. and Misamis Occidental II Electric Co-op. Inc.

These corporations have committed to reduce their power consumption to ease the power requirements of the region. That scheme can generate a savings of 150 to 162 megawatts during the critical days before, during and after the polls.

The department is the lead agency of the Power Task Force Election 2010, which was created on February 15, 2010.  The task force counts the National Power Corp. (Napocor), National Transmission Corp., National Electrification Administration, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., Philippine Electricity Market Corp., the National Grid and Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) as members.

The task force is also supported by the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association, Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Private Electric Power Operators Association Inc. and other associations of distribution utilities.

Meanwhile, the Task Force on the Security of Energy Facilities and Enforcement of Energy Laws and Standards will oversee security preparations being undertaken by the military and police on vital installations like energy facilities.

The Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (EPIMB), an agency of the Energy department, also assured on Wednesday “brownout-free” elections on May 10.

Irma Exconde, assistant director of the EPIMB, said that they have been closely working with Napocor and Meralco to ensure that there will be no power interruption on election day.

“There may be technical problems but we’ll make sure that there will be no [power] maintenance on the election period,” Exconde said in a press briefing at Malacañang on Wednesday.

She still sees the possibility of problems arising on May 10, saying that “there is no such thing as 100 percent executed or perfect plan.”

She added that the bureau would be meeting with stakeholders on Monday to complete plans for managing water levels in Mindanao dams.

“There are ongoing negotiations between the private sector and the Department of Energy. So far, they have been very cooperative,” Exconde said.
Mindanao derives much of its electricity from hydroelectric plants.

Exconde said that Mindanao still has a power shortfall of 300 to 500 megawatts, which is expected to be plugged from May 9 to 11 by managing the release of waters from the island’s dams.–EUAN PAULO C. AÑONUEVO Reporter with report from Adrienne Jesse A. Maleficio, Manila Times