MtProvhydro sites to boost national grid

By Dexter A. See 

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Gov. Leonard Mayaen said areas in the province have been identified for hydro power capable of producing 300 to 500 megawatts of energy to mitigate an impending power crisis in Luzon in the next two years.

            “Prospective investors have initially identified five possible areas in the province where mini-hydro power plants could be established once the feasibility studies done for the purpose,” Mayaensaid, noting a 13.2-mw minihydro power plant in Sabangan is now being developed by the Hydroelectric Development Corp. after securing the consent of the affected indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples.

            According to Mayaen, the identified sites where hydro plants could be constructed include Lias, Barlig and the towns of Sadanga, Sagada, Tadian and Besao where there are still thousands of hectares of watersheds that serve as the sources of water to effectively and efficiently operate the power plants.

            “Host communities are against the construction of big dams similar to the Ambuclao and Binga dams in Benguet but indigenous peoples are inclined to support the establishment of hydro power plants because of its lesser impact to the environment and ancestral domain,” he said.

            Aside from the hydro power plants to be constructed in the different parts of the province, Mayaen said consultations are still underway for the construction of a 15-megawatt wind power plant in between the towns of Sagada and Besao which could be used to provide power to unenergized areas in the province.

            “Our people do want extensive damage to the environment which they have taken cared over the past several decades,” Mayaen said, citing that host communities want environmentally-friendly power projects so that developers will be obliged to help maintain the state of the environment in the places where they co-exist with the villagers.

            Mayaen said Mountain Province still remains the most forested province in the region because 60 percent of its over 150,000-hcectare land area remains to be planted with trees.

            Mayaen disclosed Mountain Province has a total monthly power consumption of 5 to 6 megawatts, thus, the excess power which will be produced once the power plants will be developed will be connected to the Luzon grid to help increase the power supply and mitigate the effects of an impending power shortage in the Luzon area in the next two years.

            Furthermore, he said more foreign and local power investors are continuously conducting studies in the different parts of the province to maximize the generation of renewable energy which could be tapped for industrial purposes in the future.