Business leader hits NGCP over blackout

Sunstar Davao
By Reuel John F. Lumawag 
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 

THE Mindanao-wide blackout that happened last February 27 happened due to "inefficiency" of the National Grid Power Corporation (NGCP), which "is not doing their job properly," Mindanao Business Council (MBC) chair Vicente T. Lao said. 
"I will categorically accuse NGCP that they are not qualified to manage the Mindanao grid," said Lao, who was guest in yesterday's Davao Press Club's Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao Annex. 
He said NGCP, under Epira law, is suppose to manage the buffer of more than a hundred megawatts (MW) but they are not doing it. 
Lao said NGCP is getting their buffer load from the existing generating capacity, which is already short. 
"They are getting the buffer load from the existing generating capacity causing other areas to have longer brownouts (due to lack of supply)," he said. 
Lao said NGCP has contracted with state-run Pulangi hydroelectric power plant for their buffer load. He said this prevents the power plant from contracting with other power distributors. 
"In the contract, Pulangi, which should have been used as a baseload, is now only running as a back-up load for NGCP," he said. 
He said that under the Epira law, the transmission operator is mandated to contract out with generation facilities for buffer load to prevent blackouts. 
However, it did not spell out properly as where it should be sourced from. "They are depending on the exisiting generation of the grid which they are also protecting," Lao said. 
Lao said he will be suggesting to Department of Energy Sec. Carlos Jericho L. Petilla that NGCP has to put up its own power generating plant to resolve the problem during the meeting of the Mindanao Power Committee this coming March 21 in Manila. 
He also said he will be asking NGCP to defend their side during the meeting. 
Lao said if NGCP has its own plant, it will allow the power they contracted with the power plant to be used by power distributors who needs it the most. 
"If we want a reliable grid, the operator should have its own power generator," he said. Sun.Star Davao has tried to contact NGCP to get their side but the calls were not answered. source