Expensive power deals sealed; Summit only for show — solon

President Aquino’s convening of the Mindanao Power Summit this Friday will only be for show as agreements to jack up power rates in Mindanao and put up environmentally-hazardous coal plants were already sealed during a pre-summit meeting organized by the Department of Energy last week, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said.

Casiño aired his apprehension upon learning that in an April 4 pre-summit meeting in Davao, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras ordered Mindanao electric cooperatives to buy expensive power from privatized power barges at P14 kilowatt hour (kWh), with government shouldering the P9 per kWh diesel cost. Almendras also reportedly ordered local government officials to immediately approve the environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) for at least two new coal fired power plants in Mindanao.

“If that is the case then the power summit would just be a rubber stamp for DoE circular DC 2012–03-0004 which forces consumers to pay an additional 50 to 80 centavos per kWh for their electricity due to the manipulations of favored private power generators like Therma Marine, Inc. owned by the Aboitizes,” Casiño said.

“The summit is also meant to convince the people of Mindanao of the supposed need to deploy more coal-fired and diesel power plants despite Mindanao’s abundance in clean and renewable energy sources,” he lamented.

The lawmaker said he found it strange that government is willing to subsidize diesel power at P9 per kWh when it would be cheaper and sustainable to subsidize solar and other renewable energy sources.

“Is there a conspiracy to ram fossil-fuel power as the solution? Would this not reduce the power summit to a farce, giving Mindanao consumers no choice but to stick to more expensive, dirty, non-renewable power?” mused the solon.

Casiño also accused the DoE of blackmail for saying that Mindanaoans have to pay for expensive, fossil-fuel based power or nothing at all.

“What makes Mindanao different from Visayas and Luzon is its rich potential for renewable energy — from solar, hydro, geothermal to biomass. Why not tap these instead of the more expensive and dirty fossil fuel technologies?” he stressed.

He described the impact of the government’s solution as heavy. “In terms of price, its P50-P80 additional for those who consume 100 kWh per month, P100-P160 for those who consume 200 kWh and so forth. This is on top of the approved increase by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for Napocor generation rates” said Casiño.

Notwithstanding the possible risks, government should mull over all available options to address the creeping power supply shortage crisis, including the use of nuclear power as a long-term solution, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said, meanwhile, as he urged Malacañang to consider the said option while cautioning against the possibility of the power supply problem in Mindanao evolving into a national crisis if allowed to worsen.

“Many are frightened (of nuclear power) but other countries have been benefiting from this source of power, we have to take risks at some point,” he said.

“Now, nuclear power has the technology that is safe. We have to take a chance because nothing in this life is without risk,” he said.

The Senate chief noted the numerous apprehensions raised over the hazards posed by operating a nuclear power plant in the country.

But the government must do what needs to be done to immediately address the power supply problem, he stressed.

“Nothing will happen if it is all talk, we need to do the right thing to give a solution to the power problem,” Enrile pointed out.

As an initial solution to cut the supply gap in Mindanao, Enrile agreed with Sen.r Serge Osmeña III’s suggestion to deploy power barges to augment the remaining generating plants that are operating while concerned agencies move to repair and rehabilitate existing power plants on the island.

Enrile also brushed aside proposals from some lawmakers to grant President Aquino emergency powers to deal with the situation.

“That is outrageous (emergency power proposals). The President holds many powers as Chief Executive,” Enrile said.

“He can borrow money (to repair or build new plants), or negotiate contracts that are needed to address the problem,” he said. –Charlie V. Manalo with Angie M. Rosales, Daily Tribune