TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Power utilities in the Cordillera region are collectively gearing up towards generating electricity at a lower cost for consumers.
“We are now in the direction of hydro generation so that we will be sustainable and at the same time increase the development of each of the electric cooperatives (EC) that will allow them to lessen the rate of power generation we pass on to the consumers,” said Peter Busaing, president of the Cordillera Electric Cooperative Association (CECA) on Friday.
Busaing is a board member of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco).
CECA is composed of Beneco with Baguio and Benguet as franchise areas; Mountain Province Electric Cooperative (Mopreco) covering the whole of Mountan Province; Kalinga Electric Cooperative (Kaelco), Ifugao Electric Cooperative (Ifelco); and the Abra Electric Cooperative (Abreco).
Busaing and the entire group were chanced upon by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) prior to the meeting at Golden Berries Hotel.
He said it was the regular meeting of the Cordillera electric coop association to discuss matters in the “interest of the electric cooperatives.”
He said all five ECs are currently collaborating for the conduct of a feasibility study on rivers found in Kalinga.
“Nag-chip in ang ECs for the feasibility study. Imagine if mag-materialize, these can produce five to 10 megawatts (MW), which would be enough to supply Kalinga’s electric consumption requirement,” Busaing said.
He added that Kalinga only needs 6 MW and the excess can be sold to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) that will allow the Kaelco to have a revenue.
“We believe that by doing this, we will reduce the rate of the consumers here in the Cordillera. Kasi kapag EC, sa iyo ang generation mo. Pagkatapos mo, bayaran mo na ang utang na ginamit mo sa pagpapatayo ng hydro power plant. Pwede mo nang ibaba ang rate mo (If the EC owns the generation plant, it would get the power the plant would generate. Afterwards, it can pay the loan used to construct the power plant. After this, it can decrease the rate),” Busaing said.
ECs, he said, are non-stock and non-profit and their revenues from generating electricity can be used to cut the cost of electricity it is selling to the member-consumers.
“Kalinga kasi kulang-kulang na anim (megawatt requirement) so may sobra ka pa, pwede mong ibenta sa grid to accelerate ang pagbayad sa utang mo and be able to reduce your rate (Kalinga has about 6 MW, so there is a surplus that can be sold to the grid and accelerate the payment of its loan to eventually reduce the power rates,” Busaing said.
“That is now the direction,” he added.
Busaing said they are currently waiting for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) approval of the service contract for them to be able to proceed with the feasibility study.
Once approved, the Kalinga project would not be the first hydro generation plant owned by an EC. Beneco is currently constructing a 3-MW power plant in Buguias town in Benguet and is in the process of completing the requirements for a bigger power plant in Kabayan town.
Aside from collaboration towards setting up renewable energy power generation plants, the CECA is also helping its “brother” Abreco, which is ailing.
“As a brother EC, tinutulungan namin sila (we are helping them). It is now under the management contract formed by the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to oversee the management and operation for it to recover,” Busaing said.
He added that the NEA removed the members of the board and the general manager and placed a management group with the aim of financially making it recover by cutting its debts and collecting the unpaid electric consumption of several consumers that have accumulated over the years.
Busaing said that ECs are important to the country’s development, especially with its mandate to bring electricity to the farthest barangays despite the lack or impossibility of a return of investment. **PNA
