DOE Official: Visayas Energy Reserve Enough

Energy Undersecretary Donato Marcos assured consumers in the Visayas of stable power supply as energy reserve in the region is sufficient.

The Department of Energy (DOE) official gave the assurance in the wake of reports that the Visayas grid reserve remains negative as of last week.

Marcos, who spoke at the 40th Annual General Membership Assembly of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) here over the weekend, said the alarming and critical stage from March to the middle of June was already surpassed.

He added that when power need arises, augmentation can be done since the Visayas grid is connected to that of Luzon.

Bacolod City and other areas covered by Ceneco experienced power interruptions last week.

Ceneco president Arnel Lapore said it was due to a damage in the facility of the Cebu-based Kepco-Salcon Power Corp. (KSPC) which supplies 64 megawatts to Ceneco.

Lapore said Ceneco consumers will no longer experience rotating brownouts as soon as KSPC fully restores the remaining 100 MW it is generating.

Moreover, Marcos said that under the Energy Preservation Management Bureau, they are continuously urging consumers to make energy efficiency and preservation a way of life.

“While the government is doing its responsibility to ensure power supply, the people should also make collective efforts to save energy,” he added.

Meanwhile, Marcos said the DOE, through the National Renewable Energy Plan, aims to triple the country’s renewable energy generation by 2030.

From an existing stored capacity of 5,200 MW, the DOE road map seeks to increase the renewable energy generation to 15, 304 MW within the next 15 years.

DOE records show that it has already awarded contracts to a total of 664 renewable energy projects since 2008. Of the number, 403 are hydro power, 82 solar, 50 wind, 44 biomass, 42 geothermal, and eight ocean energy, covering 629 contracts that were awarded for grid use.

Data from the DOE also show that there are 244 pending renewable energy projects which can generate a potential capacity of about 5,000 MW.

Marcos said it is the DOE’s thrust to champion the benefits of renewable energy such as clean air, healthy, environment-friendly and sustainable surroundings. (PNA) FPV/NLG/ERWIN P. NICAVERA