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The Energy Regulatory Commision in Central Visayas (ERC 7) yesterday assured an additional supply of 10 megawatts (MW)to Cebu province this December.
Lawyer Joel Bontuyan, ERC 7 chief, said this could happen after Apo Cement or Cemex would be given a probation period to allow its coal-fired power plant to supply the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) with 10 MW in time for Christmas.
The ERC hearing of Apo Cement of Cemex and Veco will be held next week.
Bontuyan said power from the plant would help give Cebuanos a brighter Christmas season especially with December being a peak season for energy consumption.
But Ethel Natera, Veco spokesperson, said that even if the plant would be allowed to supply power to Veco starting next week, it could only supply the 10 MW in January.
Natera said the hearing should have been done earlier, because there are technical matters that the plant has to complete like setting up the lines needed to supply Veco.
Despite this problem, Natera said 10 MW could still make a huge difference in Cebu's power situation.
She said the total power needed to compensate the increasing demand in Cebu would be 40 MW.
For the moment, Natera said, the only chance to lessen power interruptions would be more participation of the business sector in the Visayas? interruptible load agreement.
Natera said that companies which participate and use their generators during power shortages save many residential areas from brownouts.
Veco Chief Operations Officer Jaime Jose Aboitiz described the energy situation as tight. He said that there is enough power supply but if one plant goes down, outages are expected to happen on Christmas season.
Energy Undersecretary Roy Kyamko said the power situation in Cebu would be addressed next year when the Cebu Energy Development Corp.?s 105 MW coal-fired plants in Toledo City start operations.
