THE National Electrification Administration (NEA) yesterday said the government has restored 24-hour power supply in Occidental Mindoro, which has been suffering from a power crisis since 2014.
NEA administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said efforts are now being made to process the legal requirements of one of the power plants that agreed to supply the needed power despite temporarily operating at a loss.
“The supply of electricity is back to 24 hours. There are now three power plants operating for a total of 32 megawatts (MW), so the 29 MW supply requirement of Occidental Mindoro is already covered,” Almeda said during the “Laging Handa” public briefing.
The power crisis in Occidental Mindoro started in 2014 when the construction and operation of a 40-megawatt geothermal power plant was indefinitely delayed, leaving only a bunker-diesel plant as the province’s main power source.
NEA said among the power plants currently operating in the island include the 5 MW Sablayan plant, the 7 MW MAPSA plant, and the 20 MW SAMARICA plant owned by the Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corp (OMCPC).
“Last Thursday, I met Mr. Luis Manuel Banzon, the owner of OMCPC and asked if they can run the 20 MW plant. I said I will ask clearance from Energy Secretary (Raphael) Lotilla if the plant can be operated even without the go signal of the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Secretary Lotilla gave the clearance, so the SAMARICA plant ran on Friday morning,” Almeda said.
But Almeda said the OMCPC is still hesitant to run the power plant in the absence of a “legal cover and prescribed rate” to supply power to the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (OMECO).
“What will happen is they will be operating at a loss since the highest rate we can give them is National Power Corp.’s rate. But despite incurring loss in its operations, they agreed to provide solutions in the power shortage,” Almeda said.
Almeda said the NEA is now moving to hasten compliance to the legal requirements for the continued operation of the SAMARICA power plant.
