Power woes attributed to DOE inaction

Lawmakers from Mindanao have castigated Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras for failing to address the island’s acute power shortage despite his commitment to undertake projects to boost the capacity of hydropower plants there.

Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez said he and 30 other lawmakers from Mindanao were “venting their anger” at Almendras who had been apprised of the dire power supply problem as early as the third quarter of 2010 but had yet to implement the remedies he promised.

The House of Representatives held a meeting with energy officials last week, which Almendras snubbed.

Mindanao has a power supply deficit of 180 to 400 megawatts that could have been easily addressed by Almendras had he fulfilled to dredge the Agus and Pulangui rivers, Rodriguez said in an interview. The move would have boosted capacity of Agus hydroelectric complex by at least 150 MW, he added.

Rodriguez said Mindanao officials had also urged Rodriguez to repair the four barges that would have added a combined 120 MW to the island.

“We want to know why he refused to dredge the rivers or repair the barges,” the lawmaker said. “We already know as early as 2010 what would happen to the energy supply, yet he did not take action for no apparent reason.”

Aside from the hydropower and barges, Rodriguez said Almendras should have intervened to facilitate the reopening of the diesel power plant of Iligan Steel Corp., which could have added another 130 MW to the supply.

“I do not know why he did not lift even a finger to ask the COA (Commission on Audit) to allow the start of operation of the diesel plant in Iligan because of the power shortfall,” he said.

He said that while Almendras had done nothing to resolve the power crisis, private owners of power barges in Mindanao were making a killing as they were selling power for P14 per kilowatt-hour or four times the P3.50 per kWh rate for hydropower.

Rodriguez said the lawmakers were open to longer-term solutions to Mindanao’s chronic power supply problems brought about by its dependence on cheap hydropower which has become more unreliable with the changing weather patterns brought about by climate change.

A Catholic bishop also joined calls for the government to immediately find solution to the ongoing rotational brownouts in certain parts of Mindanao.

Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad lamented that the frequent power interruptions had already affected the daily lives of residents and had even taken its toll on house appliances.

“Due to the blackouts, most appliances are destroyed and many things are affected,” Jumoad told reporters when reached by phone yesterday.

He said electric fans were among the many household appliances that had broken down due to the steady brownouts since early this year.

Jumoad, however, said he was thankful that the power interruptions had not yet affected the attendance of the faithful in Sunday Masses. “Church attendance is OK because the people are already getting used to the brownouts,” he said.

“[But] I hope the government may find solution to this problem,” he stressed.

Last week, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines announced that the Mindanao grid lacked 178 MW, an increase of 40 MW from the 138 MW shortfall on February 22.

It attributed the increase in power supply deficiency to the 38-MW drop in available capacity from 1,117 MW on February 22 to 1,079 MW last week.

Several electric organizations in Mindanao have already urged lawmakers to conduct an inquiry into the frequent power interruptions. –Gil C. Cabacungan, Philippine Daily Inquirer with a report from Jocelyn R. Uy