Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star)
- December 14, 2019 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Manila
Electric Co. (Meralco) hopes to achieve 100 percent electrification of its
franchise area by 2020.
Meralco senior vice president and
head of networks Ronnie Aperocho said this initiative is in support of the
distribution utility’s initiatives towards using more sustainable energy
sources and highlights efforts on rural electrification, a point of focus by
President Duterte.
The power utility giant has
intensified its electrification program since the second quarter of the year.
It has set its focus on unserved
customers in Metro Manila and Batangas to provide distribution and connection
service.
For the year, it has identified to
cover 118 sites, serving nearly 16,000 households. Of the total, 81 sites are
located in Metro Manila and 37 sites in Batangas.
“These sites used to be problematic
in terms of extending our facilities because of many issues like right of way
(ROW), local government unit problems and permitting issues,” Aperocho said.
Meralco is projecting to spend
P267.19 million for the electrification of these areas.
“We’re working very hard to address
those hurdles for us to really extend facilities. We have energized 19 sites
and were moving ahead to resolve all the ROW issues so that we could commission
or give power to all these customers by Christmas time,” Aperocho said.
In 2018, Energy Secretary Alfonso
Cusi ordered Meralco to explain why power services do not reach far-flung areas
within its franchise.
At that time, he said the DOE was
reviewing identified areas for possible operations of third party electricity
providers as part of its rural electrification program.
The country’s largest power
distributor had not yet expanded its power distribution services to Isla Verde
in Batangas and Cagbalete Island in Quezon, both of which are far-flung areas
within its franchise area.
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