Alternative electricity search on in Benguet

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Multinational and local power companies are now struggling against each other to secure social acceptability of renewable energy projects in the province to address expected power crisis the next five years.

Power generating companies and local cooperatives are now undertaking studies in potential sources of renewable energy in Benguet to identify “sweet spots” so they will sustain power requirements once expected power crisis happens in 2015.

Instead of 2012, energy experts said the country will be encountering power crisis next five years if the current power sources will remain and no new power plants are established.

But some industry experts warned the power crisis may come sooner as expected because of the expected industrial growth in the next several years which is triggered by the improvement in the global economy after the onslaught of the economic crisis.

Aside from existence of the 360-megawatt Magat power plant, the 100-megawatt Ambuclao dam and 75-megawatt Binga dam pperated by SN Aboitiz Power Corp., smaller companies are studying development of potential renewable energy in Kapangan, Kibungan, Bakun, Tuba, Buguias, Bokod and Kabayan.

Gerardo P. Verzosa, general manager of the Benguet Electric Coop. here, said the power firm has identified a suitable site where Beneco will put up its own mini-hydropower plant to come out with cheaper rate for its consumers, especially in the place where they intend to put up the facility.

According to Verzosa, the Luzon grid’s capacity for additional power is very small, especially when one of the huge power plants back down.

This, he said, would results to rotating power outages in most parts of the island, thus, the need for government and private sectors to tap new sources of energy to help bring down the high electricity rates.

Once the electric cooperative starts producing its own energy, he predicted its thousands of consumers will be charged cheaper rates since the cooperative will be buying lesser power from independent power producers and the National Power Corporation. – Dexter A. See