DAVAO CITY – The government said there is no reason for the elections to be disrupted by power shortage despite the bombing of the transmission towers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the Department of Energy is coordinating efforts to ensure a continuous and reliable power supply in Mindanao, particularly in areas where transmission towers of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) had been bombed.
In a Philippine Information Agency dispatch, Coloma said Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada has reported that an additional capacity of up to 600 megawatts (MW) will come on stream in the first half of this year, starting with the 150-MW thermal power plant of the Aboitiz Group, which President Benigno S. Aquino III inaugurated on Friday.
“Also according to Secretary Monsada, on the bombing of transmission towers, the operations of 14 out of the 15 towers have resumed,” Secretary Coloma said.
Coloma noted that despite the bombing of the transmission towers, the electricity supply in Mindanao will remain stable because it is derived from a combination of sources, including existing hydroelectric power plants.
“The power grid in the region is not solely dependent on these transmission towers, which are connected to the Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power plants,” he said.
Coloma also assured that there would be enough power supply for Mindanao during the upcoming national elections, saying this is part of the efforts of the Department of Energy.(davaotoday.com)
