Time ticking as Congress yet to OK joint resolution giving Aquino emergency powers
MANILA, Philippines–With President Benigno Aquino III’s request for emergency powers pending in Congress, Malacañang’s hands are seemingly tied as the supposed power shortfall in the summer of 2015 approaches.
Communications Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. on Friday admitted that they will still have to wait for Congress to approve the joint resolution giving Aquino additional authority to contract generating capacity.
Last year, the Department of Energy revealed that the maximum projected power shortfall for the summer of 2015 was at 1,004 megawatts (MW).
Options
“Ganoon pa man, habang hinihintay ito, ayon po sa ating Department of Energy, kay Secretary (Jericho) Petilla, may apat na options na tinitingnan at isasagawa,” Coloma said.
(Nevertheless, while we are waiting for the passage, according to the Department of Energy, to Secretary Jericho Petilla, there are foud options being explored.)
The first is the Interruptible Load Program, which aims to tap the private sector by encouraging businesses to use their own power generating facilities during peak hours. This should reduce the demand of energy from the power grid and ease the shortfall.
Speeding up the implementation of power projects is also being pushed, as well as the reduction of forced outages. Forced outages refer to the shutdown of power plants or transmission lines due to unexpected breakdown.
“Masinsin ‘yung pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga power generating facilities at hinahanda na rin ‘yung sa gobyerno, ‘yung katulad ‘nung sa Malaya kahit na ito ay hindi pinaka-efficient na generating facility, para mapunan ‘yung tinatawag na forced outages kung hindi man mabawasan ang mga ito,” Coloma ended.
(We are thoroughly coordinating with generating facilities and the government is already preparing other facilities like Malaya–although it is not the most efficient generating facility—just to address the forced outages.)
Emergency powers
Aquino’s request for emergency powers has been questioned by some lawmakers, including Senator Sergio Osmeña III, chair of the Senate energy committee, who believe that there is no need to contract additional power.
Some from the business sector also fear the abuse of emergency powers.
Malacañang, however, has avoided calling the joint resolution a request for emergency powers, using instead the term “additional authority.”
Aquino himself has assured the business sector that the additional powers will not be used to distort the market and will only address the projected power shortage.
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