by Myrna Velasco May
8, 2016
Power industry
stakeholders, including the operator of the national transmission highway, have
committed seamless electricity service throughout the election period.
National Grid
Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) particularly noted that long before May
9, it already started implementing “contingency plan to ensure that the
country’s power transmission network is geared up for the nationwide polls.”
The transmission
firm’s readiness was once again tested last week with fresh attack on its
critical tower No. 25, the one supporting the capacity wheeling of generated
electricity from Agus 1 and 2 plants to the Mindanao grid.
However,
because of the alternate line already installed, grid isolation of the
generating plants had been avoided this time.
Energy Secretary
Zenaida Y. Monsada similarly indicated that many of the right-of-way (ROW)
problems of NGCP in Mindanao had been resolved prior to the election period. As
of Wednesday last week (May 4), she noted that only one claimant had an
unresolved issue so far.
NGCP claimed that it
has been aligning “efforts with the Department of Energy and the rest of the
power industry to ensure a blackout-free May elections.”
The Manila Electric
Company (Meralco), on the other hand, has emphasized that it fully completed
“inspection, maintenance and repair of its distribution facilities” to
guarantee that these will work safely and efficiently during the pivotal voting
and canvassing processes.
The utility firm went
as far as inspecting all polling and canvassing centers within its franchise
area, and “has made the necessary recommendations to the respective school/building
administrators to address potential troubles in said places.”
Still, in cases of
unexpected and unwanted power outages, Meralco noted that “more than 200
generators will be on standby on election day to be carried by roving Meralco
crews.”
It added that “these
generator sets intend to provide basic lighting to polling and canvassing
places, and to ensure the continuity of the conduct of elections in case of
unexpected power interruptions.”
In a related
development, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) stipulated that it
“expects better supply situation in the Mindanao grid during the conduct of the
2016 national and local elections.”
MinDA director of
Investment Promotions and Public Affairs Romeo Montenegro has stressed that
since last Friday (May 6), Mindanao has been “enjoying a more steady supply of
power and experiencing extremely minimal or zero power interruptions.” (MMV)
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