Aboitiz proposes coal power

Sunstar Davao

Jade C. Zaldivar
THE Aboitiz Power Corporation, which owns the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC), sees coal power as an alternative source of energy, but Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is not about to jump at the proposal.

The reason: she is aware of the long-term disadvantages of running coal power plants.

The mayor said recently Tuesday the public utility company presented to her their proposal in a meeting.

She said the power company finds investing on a coal plant as the most affordable means in maintaining the availability of power in the city.

She, however, said she is "lukewarm" on the matter as a coal-fire power plant imposes dangers to the environment.

"Nag-meeting mi Monday. Ang first question nako was, naa bay laing source of energy pwede. Ingon sila the only other source other than coal is diesel fuels which is, in the end expensive, gihapon siya sa consumer (We had a meeting on Monday. My first question was is there any other sources of energy possible here in the city. They said the only viable source, other than coal, is diesel fuels which in the end would still be expensive for the consumers)," the mayor said.

"Nangutana ko waste to energy, ana sila mao pud expensive. So niana ko sa ilaha nga lukewarm man ko sa coal (I asked what about waste-to-energy, they also said it's expensive. So I told them I'm not so much in favor of a coal plant) but this is a democratic society so the voice of the majority will be the priority," she added.

The mayor said she advised Aboitiz Power to conduct consultations and public information if they intend to operate such.

She said representatives of the power giant agreed to present their proposal to the Davao City Chamber of Commerce, in which the meeting was set on Saturday.

"Giingnan pud nako sila (I also told them) you talk to the City Council.

You talk to the vice mayor regarding your project. You present your project to the public," Duterte said in an interview at the Public Safety Command Center.

In an earlier interview, the mayor said she is not in favor of coal power because of the long-term effects this has on the environment.

"Mura na siyag mining, long term ang iyahang epekto sa environment ug society (Like mining, coal power's effect on the environment and the society is long-term)," Duterte said.

Duterte also reiterated her stand in maintaining the city's watershed areas in explaining the forms of energy production she favors.

"Favorable ko sa waste-to-energy, hydro (power plant), ayaw lang sulod sa protected areas (for as long as it's not in protected areas), wind," she said.

Meanwhile, the protest against DLPC's power rate hike has snowballed.

Power consumers led by Power Dabaw on Wednesday staged a march rally to protest the average power rate increase of P0.08 per kilowatthour (kWhr).

From an average P1.08 kWhr distribution charge, a rate of P1.16 per (kWhr) has been implemented since August by DLPC in following the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) mandate for all distribution utilities in the country to follow the new rating system of PBR or performance-based rate system.

Catholic group Leaders of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) since September 1 led a series of public protests together with urban poor organizations.

Progressive organization under Bayan Muna also led marches and protest rallies on the matter most recent of which was on Wednesday wherein they were joined by more than a hundred consumers.

DLPC on August 3 disclosed that they would be implementing the new PBR rate system.

Under the new PBR rates, a residential customer with an electric consumption of 175 kWh per month, under the new rate the billing would be P1,219.31 compared to the old billing of P1,164.16 or an increase of P55.15.

A consumption of 200 kWh per month would now cost P1,392.69 compared to the old rate of P1,329.66 or an increase of 63.03. A consumption of 250 kWh would amount to P1,739.45 as opposed to the old rate of P1,660.66 or an increase of P78.79. A consumption of 300 kWh would amount to P2,086.21 as opposed to P1,991.67 before or an increase of P94.55.

DLPC executive vice president and chief operating officer Arturo Milan also explained that the PBR rate does not necessarily mean having higher expenses as DLPC have adjusted their Lifeline Subsidy Discount Rates (LSDR).

The LSDR can be enjoyed by customers each consuming 100 kWh per month or less.

Customers consuming 21 to 35 kHr per month will get a discount of 50 percent in billing; customers consuming 36 to 40 kWh per month will get a discount of 45 percent; 40 percent discount for customers consuming 41 to 45 kWh; 35 percent for those consuming 46 to 50; 30 percent to those consuming 51 to 55; 25 percent for 56 to 60 kWh per month consumption; and 20 percent discount for 61 to 100 kWh consumption.(with Sunnex)

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on October 03, 2010.