BAGUIO City councilors are calling for a separate electric cooperative, as they project a reduced power cost due to less systems loss charges for the city.
Data from Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) show that it has a 9.8 percent systems loss. The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) allows up to 14 percent systems loss.
Beneco is reported to have saved P1.8 million due to reduced systems loss. Beneco, along with nine other electric cooperatives, were recently given an A+ (superb) rating by the ERC.
Councilor Richard Cariño said a shorter distribution line contributes to reduction in systems loss.
"Baguio City, due to its population density and compactness is being supplied by distribution lines, which are relatively shorter than those being supplied to other municipalities Benguet. This means that the Baguio City electricity system, which comprises 80 percent of the total Beneco load, contributes a lesser line loss than the other towns of Benguet, combined," he said.
Cariño stressed that if Baguio's power system is separate from Benguet's, they would economically and technically benefit power consumers.
The system is now practiced in San Juan town and San Fernando City both in La Union, he said.
The councilor said both towns are "basically separated" from the La Union Electric Cooperative (LuElCo) and is now being serviced by the La Union Electric Company (LuECo).
He said LuECo operates more efficiently and charges a lower power rate compared to LuElCo.
Cariño said LuElCo also has a high systems loss.
If Baguio were a separate franchise area, Cariño added, Beneco could concentrate in the total electrification of other un-energized barangays in municipalities of Benguet.
To recall, the Baguio Electric Cooperative (Baelco) also proposed for the separation of Baguio from the franchise of Beneco. They proposed power to be sourced from the energy produced from the Asin mini hydroelectric power plants.
The plan has not materialized until today.
In a separate proposed resolution, Councilor Karminn Yañgot urged the Beneco and City Engineers Office (CEO) to conduct a joint inventory of all streetlights in Baguio.
Yañgot said after Beneco's six-month trial management, which ended on December 2009, the cooperative and the CEO could begin an inventory of the streetlights so both could have a database.
The database should contain the number of replaced, relocated, missing and unmetered streetlights. She said the database could also be used to determine actual power consumption.
Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on May 18, 2011.
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