Negros to build 4 power plants
BACOLOD CITY—Plans are underway to build at least four power plants that may answer the expected power shortage by 2015.
Three hydro-electric power plants with combined production of 67 megawatts are expected to be built in Negros Occidental, said Jose Ma. Valencia, chief of staff of Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr.
Aside from the hydroelectric power plants, he added Global Business Power Corp. planned to construct a coal-fired power plant with a capacity of 80 MW this year.
A hydro-electric power plant, with power capacity of 40 MW, will be constructed in Bago City. A 15-MW plant will also be built in Kabankalan City and another plant, with 12-MW capacity, will be put up in Sagay City.
Valencia said he didn’t know the specific dates for the start of their construction.
Marañon and Valencia met with Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras Thursday to discuss the fast-tracking of the hydro-electric power plants in the province.
Warning
During the meeting, Almendras had warned that Negros Occidental could face a power shortage by 2015 if it did not take steps to produce its own electricity, especially since the province’s double-digit growth would increase its power demand.
Valencia said the governor met with Almendras to seek the secretary’s help after they discovered that some power firms had blocked off the rivers for hydro-electric power by obtaining service contracts from the Department of Energy.
“We were surprised because they did not coordinate with the local government units as required, and we never knew that they were conducting feasibility studies, unlike those dealing with us like Conal Holdings, Alto Power Management Corp. and Alstom Philippines,” he said.
The issuance of these service contracts to other firms in areas, where Conal, Alto and Alstom plan to build hydro-electric power plants, prevent them from doing so, Valencia said.
Almendras agreed to go over the list of service contracts granted by the DOE, and to cancel those that are unproductive and non-performing within the month, he said.
This will open areas to those really interested in building the hydro-electric plants and have the financial and technical capability to do so, he added.
This will pave the way for the construction of the three plants, Valencia said, noting that it will take five to six years to build one.
