Gov’t Giving Priority to Addressing Possible Power Shortage – Palace

(PNA) –- Malacañang has assured that the government is giving priority to addressing the possible power shortage this coming summer, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said on Thursday.

”At present, we are giving priority on how to respond to the possible shortage of the power supply due to bid demand and lack of reserves,” Coloma said in a phone-patch interview with Malacañang Press Corps.

Coloma said as early as last year, the Palace had already alerted the Department of Energy (DOE) on the matter.

”The DOE did preparatory steps such as participation of the private sector in the interruptible load program and maintenance of the power plants for the big unscheduled interruption,” Coloma said.

The DOE, according to the Palace official, has also started implementing energy conservation measures and repairing the Malaya plant for additional capacity.

”The government has already implemented many measures such as information campaign regarding the importance of energy conservation,” Coloma said.

”We have already anticipated this since last year that’s why the DOE is addressing the situation because as the President repeatedly said: ‘The most expensive power is no power,”” he added.

Last year, Malacañang also asked the House of Representatives and the Senate to grant President Aquino emergency power to address the impending power shortage these summer months. (PNA) LAP/JFM