Renewable energy ‘best answer’ to rising power rates

Sunstar Bacolod
By Karl G. Ombion
Wednesday, November 23, 2011


IN THE face of soaring costs of electricity, Negrenses have no other choice but to consider seriously the use of renewable energy sources like solar, hydro, biomass and wind power.


“It is the best if not the only alternative choice for us now battered by endless hikes in power rates,” said Francisco Puey, a Bacolodnon businessman and staunch advocate of renewable energy systems.


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Puey made this challenge Tuesday amid reports that power distribution utilities like electric cooperatives will soon be transformed into stock corporations as part of President Benigno Aquino III’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) Program.


“The rising power rates is inevitable because the billions of losses that government incurred from its operations of Genco (Generation Company), Transco (National Transmission Company), Napocor (National Power Corporation), which are now privatized, will be passed on by power distributors to the consumers,” Puey said.


“Ninety-five percent of the operations of these power utilities are no longer controlled by the government, just like in downstream oil industry, but by big corporations whose basic existence motive is profit, and therefore, there’s no way for us, not even government unless overhauled, in preventing power rates from increasing and increasing,” Puey added.


Citing sources, Puey said Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) will raise its power rate from present P6 per kilowatt-hour (KWh) to P15 per KWh in the next two to three years.


“In actual accounting, this will increase our monthly dues to Ceneco by more than P500 per month or even more,” he said.


“Right now, renewable energy sources are available. They are clean, cheap, stable and sustainable sources of energy. But of course, we have to lobby for the financial and technical support of the government and also other institutions and organizations that advocate for the same, so these systems can be made available to as many of our people, especially the poor and marginalized groups,” Puey said.


Puey said one such reliable and expert group in this field and is operating already in Negros and the Visayas is the Green Power Philippines, promoting German-engineered renewable energy technologies in combination with indigenous materials and knowledge of Filipino engineers and technologists.


“Let us not wait for our misery to multiply and get worse. Let us go green in our technology and mindset,” Puey said.


Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on November 23, 2011.