Aklan Electric Cooperative Inc. on Friday allayed the fears of Boracay residents that electric service will be scaled down once the world-famous tourist destination undergoes a six-month rehabilitation beginning April 26.
Akelco general manager Alexis Regalado assured all member-consumer-owners within the electric cooperative’s coverage area that their operations would continue unhindered despite the projected operating losses during the Boracay closure.
“I would like to clarify rumors that once Boracay closes there will no longer be power from Akelco. We are a distribution electric cooperative, we give service to consumers,” Regalado said.
“We are not like other utilities that are privately-owned whose profit is purpose is for profit. We are mandated by NEA (National Electrification Administration) to provide service to the public. Even if we suffer losses, we still provide service. As long as there are consumers, there is Akelco, service will continue,” he said.
He said Akelco was finding ways to ease the impact on the utility’s power rates.
The electric cooperative is seeking negotiation of existing bilateral contracts with so-called independent power producers.
Electricity consumption in Boracay is expected to decrease 84 percent and 38 percent to the overall load profile of the cooperative once the temporary shutdown of the island is carried out.
Regalado said the cooperative would propose the reduction of the minimum energy off-take until the resumption of tourism operations in Boracay, hourly reduction proportionate to all power suppliers, and the monthly reconciliation to adjust the bilateral contract quantity.
If the IPPs reject the proposal, he said, Akelco would have no choice but to implement P1.5894 per kilowatt hour increase in power rates during the period when the island is closed. But if the talks bear fruit, the rate adjustment will only be at 0.0162-centavo per kwh.