Town, coal plant site, seeks brownout shield

A billboard relaying Sual’s plea for direct electricity connection to protect the town from brownouts rises in the town proper.

SUAL, Pangasinan—Officials of this western Pangasinan town want the operator of a coal-fired power plant to supply electricity directly to this town to spare it from brownouts, especially this dry season.

In a resolution, the town council asked Team Energy Corp. (Team Energy) to reserve 1 megawatt (MW) of electricity every month for the power needs of the town.

“We find it strange why we have to bear with brownouts arising from the impending power crisis when right in our municipality, the largest power plant in the country is located,” said Mayor Roberto Arcinue.

The facility has a generating capacity of 1,218 MW, making it the country’s largest coal-fired power plant. It started providing electricity to the Luzon grid in October 1999 through a 1,000-MW energy conversion agreement with the National Power Corp.

To dramatize its request, the town council printed its resolution in a giant tarpaulin and set it up in the town center. The tarpaulin also showed a picture of the town blanketed by darkness during a brownout and the power plant glowing brightly.

The town council said that if Team Energy grants its request, the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative Inc. will distribute the electricity to consumers.

Froilan Gregory Romualdez III, Team Energy spokesperson, said he appreciated the town’s sentiment. But, he said, the output of the Sual power plant is fed directly to the Luzon grid.

“There is no direct connection from the plant to Sual,” said Romualdez in an e-mail to Inquirer. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon