BACOLOD CITY – Power supply shortage will continue to plague Negros Island during peak hours, especially this summer, until a new power source is found, a National Transmission Corp. (Transco) official has warned.

The power needs of Negros have been growing but the island’s power production has remained stagnant, said Zosimo Briones, Transco Negros district manager.

He said the island’s total daily power consumption had reached 200 megawatts. The Palinpinon Geothermal Power Plant in Palinpinon, Negros Oriental, produces only 170 MW.

Briones also noted that the newly built Northern Negros Geothermal power plant in Bago City produces only 4-5 MW instead of the expected 49 MW. The Philippine National Oil Co.-Energy Development Corp. (PNOC-EDC) owns and operates the plant.

“So, without additional power from Leyte, Negros Island will not have enough power,” Briones said.

He said the island suffered from brownouts on March 16 and 17 because the three units of Palinpinon 1 that produce 90 MW underwent preventive maintenance work, which had long been delayed.

Brownouts also occurred on March 21-22 because of the expansion of the submarine cable linking the Leyte geothermal power plant to Negros and Cebu, he said.

Expansion

The expansion was needed to allow the two islands to tap more power from Leyte, Briones said. The work was undertaken during the holidays when there was less power consumption.

PNOC-EDC senior vice president Agnes de Jesus said the Northern Negros Geothermal power plant has offered to supply between 30 MW and 40 MW power to the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco).

But PNOC-EDC premised its offer to Ceneco on its entry into the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park “buffer zone,” De Jesus said.

PNOC-EDC has asked the Negros Occidental provincial board to concur with the corporation’s entry into the buffer zone, but the officials have yet to decide on the matter.