Monday, April 18, 2011

Mayor not counting coal plant benefits yet

Sunstar Davao
By Jereco O. Paloma



DAVAO City Vice Mayor Sara Duterte is not yet counting the benefits of a coal-powered plant to be put up in the city, saying there is nothing to show yet for the P25-billion worth of investment being promised.
"Wala na gina-consider sa city kay dili pa man siya sure na (The city is not counting that project as among the investments to be poured into the city since we still do not know if the) project will or will not be approved by the City Council," Duterte said.
AboitizPower proposes to build a 300-megawatt coal-fired plant in Barangay Binugao, Toril, but this has been opposed by environmental groups.
Duterte said while she leaves the decision to the City Council, she cannot deny the fact that at present, there are no other feasible power sources other than the one being proposed by Aboitiz.
Citing the present power crisis experienced in most parts of the country, Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte approved the proposal, saying the city needs an alternative source of energy to move forward.
The elder Duterte said he will support the project as long as there is no state-of-the-art technologies that will reduce the negative impact of the plant operations to the community and the environment.
The City Council, meanwhile, has conducted two joint committee public hearings being headed by the committee on energy, transportation, and communication.
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on April 19, 2011.

No comments:

Post a Comment