DOE assures enough power supply in May elections

Sunstar Manila
Thursday, January 3, 2013

THE Department of Energy (DOE) assured Thursday of continuous supply of power to ensure a successful holding of the May elections.

The DOE has issued a circular creating the Power Task Force Election 2013.

"This also aims to ensure provision of stable and continuous supply of power before, during, and after the 2013 national and local elections through adoption of specific measures," the agency said.

As stated in the DOE Department Circular DC 2012-12-0011, the Task Force’s Core Group will be headed by the DOE and will have the National Power Corporation (NPC), National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), National Electrification Administration (NEA), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (Psalm), Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and Manila Electric Company (Meralco) as members.

The Independent Power Producers Association (PIPPA), Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (Philreca), Private Electric Power Operators Association Inc. (PEPOA), and other associations of distribution utilities not explicitly mentioned in the circular, meanwhile, will serve as supporting members.

“Our task now is to identify the areas that will need extra effort from the Task Force in terms of power supply and these are the isolated areas, or areas not connected to the grid and some areas in Mindanao,” Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said.

He said the DOE will coordinate with the Commission on Elections and ask stakeholders that outages and maintenance should not be scheduled during the election period, among others.

The issuance of such circular is a standard operating procedure for the DOE in line with its mandate to provide a mechanism for the integration, rationalization, and coordination of the various activities to carry out the energy policy of the state, Petilla said.

The DOE previously issued a circular creating a Power Task Force for the 2010 national and local elections.(SDR/Sunnex)   source