Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Sato has assured a steady supply of electricity in the province as an exclusive power contract expires next year.
“There is light at the end of a tunnel,” Sato said, adding that the province’s local officials have been closely working closely with the Department of Energy, National Electrification Administration, National Power Corp. and other concerned national agencies to ensure that power requirements of the province are met.
By 2018, a 25-year energy conversion agreement entered into by Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative Inc. and Island Power Corp. will expire, thus allowing other power investors to step in.
The exclusive ECA has prevented other independent power producers from investing in the province, affecting largely Omeco consumers.
The IPC has failed to produce power since 2007.
While waiting for the ECA to expire, Sato said local officials are exploring other means to improve the power situation, including boosting a 20 megawatt diesel power plant of the Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corp. in San Jose.
Sato recently met with NPC officials, led by its president and chief executive officer Pio Benavidez, for the repair of its 69 kilovolt transmission lines to ensure an uninterrupted power supply.