NGCP wants solons to pass law to curb ROW violations

By Lenie Lectura - January 7, 2019

https://businessmirror.com.ph/ngcp-wants-solons-to-pass-law-to-curb-row-violations/

THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) urged lawmakers to expedite the passage of the Anti-Power Line Disturbance Act following the recent spate of right-of-way (ROW) violations.

This even as it reminded the public to observe ROW clearances since the recent breaches affected NGCP’s power-transmission services to its customers.

It cited a November 13 incident when the Nabunturan-Monkayo 69kV line tripped, resulting in an hourlong power interruption to customers of the Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative. A landowner harvested his falcata trees using a chainsaw, causing the falling tree to swing and hit the power cables of Towers 11 and 12 in Poblacion, Monte Vista, Compostela Valley. Power was eventually restored after NGCP line crews remedied the situation.

Two days after, the Santa Barbara-San Jose 138-kV line in Iloilo went on emergency shutdown when an unidentified man was seen climbing one of the towers along the said line. Several other 69-kV power lines in the area were likewise put on emergency shutdown to ensure the security of the transmission system and the safety of the person involved and the responders in the area. This resulted in power interruptions lasting a few hours, affecting various parts of Iloilo and Antique. Power was restored when the area was cleared and declared safe for reenergization.

Another incident occurred last November 18 when the Maco-Banaybanay 69-kV line in Compostela Valley tripped due to kaingin or grass fire between Towers 259 and 260. Upon investigation, a witness claimed it seemed like the fire was intentionally started to make way for the planting of new crops.

Also in November, a tripping incident was recorded along the Mexico-Calumpit 69-kV line when a laborer working on the construction of a new building along McArthur Road, San Simon, Pampanga, accidentally swung the 18-foot steel bar reinforcement, which directly hit the conductor of the line. The victim suffered slight electric shock that caused power interruption.

A similar incident occurred in Batangas City last December 10 when a construction worker was electrocuted when the tubular metal he was using in plastering the wall breached the safe distance of the Bolbok-Ma. Parang-Concepcion 13.8-kV line. He fell to the ground and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

“We have been very serious in the conduct of our information and safety campaigns in the communities near our transmission facilities. But our efforts are often ignored because there is no legal consequence to breaching safety clearances. These breaches in right-of-way not only threaten the reliability of the transmission system, causing unnecessary inconvenience to power customers, but also risks the lives of anyone involved or living near the area,” the NGCP said.

The company called on the legislative body for the immediate passage of the Anti-Power Line Disturbance Act, which seeks to prevent obstructions and penalize the introduction of high-growing vegetation or hazardous improvements along power line corridors.

Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, recently sponsored the Senate version of the act, Senate Bill 2098 or the Anti-Obstruction of Power Lines Act of 2018. Rep. Carlos Uybarreta, vice chairman of the House energy committee, sponsored the Lower House counterpart of the bill, which was passed on September 25, 2017.

“We are grateful to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian and Cong. Carlos Uybarreta, who sponsored the bill in the Senate and in the House, respectively. We hope that this bill, when passed into law, will act as a deterrent to the public from breaching the required clearance around the power-transmission lines. Incidents like these will be prevented from happening. Not only will the continuous flow of power to homes, communities and industries across the country be guaranteed but injuries will also be minimized,” the NGCP added.

The NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining and developing the country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders Henry Sy Jr. and Robert Coyiuto Jr.