Speedy rehab of power plants urged

(The Philippine Star) Updated December 19, 2010 

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is urging the new owners of the privatized power plants in Luzon to expedite the rehabilitation and maintenance of their power plants to address the projected energy shortfall in the next two years.

“Maybe, we can produce another 300 to 600 megawatts until the new power plants come in 2013,” said PCCI energy chairman Jose Alejandro.

Alejandro said they are closely working with the government to also help address the Mindanao energy situation which is “facing a very serious challenge in the next two to three years”.

He said the business group is promoting new power plants in the area. It is likewise encouraging aggressive energy efficiency and conservation.

“Many of our small and medium enterprises (SMEs) members are located in the provinces, in Mindanao and Visayas islands. We are very concerned about this power situation in many of the islands, the ones outside the grid. This situation is overlooked; they are also beginning to experience power shortages so we are addressing that,” he noted.

PCCI’s chambers in Palawan, Cotabato, Cebu, General Santos and the island of Capiz have begun undertaking information and education campaigns on these energy programs.

“We would like to encourage the regulators to start reviewing the power developments in those islands, expedite the decision that power plants can be immediately put in place because 69 percent of our exports depend on the SMEs,” Alejandro stressed.

He bared that many of the SMEs, the lifeblood of the Philippine economy, are bringing down their business operations due to the energy problem. The foreign exchange is compounding the energy situation, he added.

“This is really a very serious concern for the whole country, never mind the fact that rates would go up because of these new adjustments. You know when you maintain and rehabilitate, there is an additional cost so we would like to encourage our regulators to be very alert, perceptive about this power rate that will go up,” Alejandro stressed.

He was optimistic that the country could survive the energy problem with nominal pains should the PCCI and the Department of Energy succeed in encouraging the new owners of the privatized power plants to fasttrack the rehabilitation of their plants. – Philexport News and Features