MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 23 April)— The days of 3.5 hour brownouts will soon be over, Juancho Chiong, branch manager of the Bukidnon II Electric Cooperative, Inc (Buseco), said.
Buseco plans to implement a two-way solution to the energy problems through the Interruptible Load Program (ILP), which would ask large companies and establishments to use their own generators during peak hours; and to ask the other establishments to reschedule their operations during off-peak periods.
For the first solution, Buseco officials met with representatives of the heavy energy consumers on April 12 at the Del Monte Club House in Manolo Fortich to present the ILP. Among those who came were representatives from the Rubbertex, Asian High, Lapanday, Mindanao Grains and Gaisano in Malaybalay and the Rebisco in Manolo Fortich.
Chiong said these customers would be required to make adjustments in their energy use such as using their own generators during the peak load hours, a program called deloading. Buseco has assured them that the extra cost in using their generators would be refunded.
The second solution would be to ask commercial customers to use power only on off-peak hours, from 10 am to 5 pm). “Para may sharing ng energy,” Chiong said.
Once the two programs are implemented by May, “more energy would be saved and there would be lesser power interruptions on the following weeks.” But this does not guarantee a lesser payment on electric bills,” Chiong said.
Meanwhile, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has called on Buseco and Fibeco (First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative) to decrease the costs of electricity in the province. Board Member Nemesio Beltran Jr, passed a resolution that said that Bukidnon only needs 50 megawatts and Pulangi IV power plant, located in Maramag, Bukidnon, produces 255 megawatts .
Chiong said however, that the energy costs would not be lowered “because the rates of the ancillary services (needed for energy transmission) have increased”. He also said that the Pulangi River does not supply only Bukidnon but also some parts of Davao. (April Rose Torion/MindaNews)