Meralco targets electrification of entire franchise area this year

Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star) - January 3, 2021 - 12:00am
https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/01/03/2067743/meralco-targets-electrification-entire-franchise-area-year

MANILA, Philippines — Power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is targeting to bring electricity to its entire franchise area by mid-2021.

Meralco senior vice president and head of networks Ronnie Aperocho said the company is spending P1.1 billion for the remaining projects under the Meralco Electrification Program (MEP).

Meralco will power up 559 remaining sites in the MEP, which are under Priority Project 2 and 3, with an estimated household count of 28,601.

As of end-September, Meralco has energized 233 sites while 143 sites are under construction. The company is working to power up the remaining 183 sites, which are on design and right-of-way (ROW) acquisition stages.

“Despite the quarantine, we remain committed to bring light to our unserved and underserved customers through the Meralco Electrification Program projects,” he said.

Aperocho said the MEP Priority 2 project was set for completion not later than end-2020 while the Priority 3 project is targeted for completion by June 2021.

“With the completion of these projects, Meralco would have already complied with 100 percent household electrification as envisioned by the Department of Energy and the Duterte administration,” he said.

Meralco previously set the 100 percent electrification of its franchise area in 2020. However, the lockdown imposed in the country delayed several projects.

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 has 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.