Manila Bulletin
By Myrna M. Velasco
January 25, 2013, 4:33pm
While power interruptions could be a deciding factor for polling results at times, transmission operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has given word that it will ensure reliable and efficient operations of the power grid during the May 2013 elections.
This will primarily be watched over by the special task force created by the company. It will be there to ensure the “smooth transmission of electricity and creation of contingency plans and measures during the election period,” it said.
In a prepared statement, NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza announced that the task force will commence operations this February until May 17, the anticipated time when the election results would have been completely tallied.
Task forces in the energy sector are typically formed during elections because continuous flow of electricity service is among the critical factors that could guarantee the credibility of the outcome of the polls.
Alabanza said “part of the task force’s mandate is to secure the lines and substations from any threats to avoid unplanned outages.”
While it is not a function of transmission of electricity, Mindanao grid may just pose a different scenario because supply problems are still not squarely addressed in the area.
The ‘quick-fixes’ being lined up by government are still not concretized, and it might even take some months before they can render real immediate solutions to the grid’s dilemmas.
Alabanza thus qualified that “NGCP can only guarantee that there will be no transmission-related interruptions.”
She added that “any power interruption caused by other factors, such as generation deficiencies or those pertaining to distribution utility operations, are beyond our control.”
Onward to the May polls, the transmission company has indicated that it “will defer regular maintenance activities one week before and after the elections to make all the transmission assets available for power delivery.”
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