Cusi wants ‘top-down approach’ on resolving electric coops’ concerns
Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi has sternly instructed agencies under his charge to pursue ‘top-down approach’ when it comes to resolving the issues and concerns of electric cooperatives (ECs) given the critical component of service that they provide to wide base of Filipino consumers.
In particular, he directed the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for the on-grid ECs and the National Power Corporation (NPC) for those in the Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) areas “to go down to the level of the electric cooperatives and address their issues and concerns.”
The energy chief said he wants to end that drift wherein it is often the ECs going to the Executive department airing their issues and concerns; instead of the concerned agencies directly doing ‘field work’ to assess exactly what their needs are.
This was the sentiment that Cusi had set out to the members of the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc. (PHILRECA) that called on him, stressing that “it should be the NEA and Napocor who should approach the coops, not the other way around.”
Cusi added “we have to work together to make household electrification happen especially in Mindanao.”
The ECs raised several concerns that continue to hobble their respective operations, such as: right-of-way (ROW) issues for the delivery of electricity, primarily in the interconnection of islands; push for tax reforms; non-privatization of the Agus-Pulangui complexes; interconnection of the SPUG (Small Power Utilities Group) to the main grid; and the need for one-stop shop on project permitting and licensing.
The other issues delve with having clearer guidelines on fund availment and allocation to ECs of financial assistance on disaster-related concerns; clear delineation of authority on ECs’ ROW issues; and the required provision of buffer stock of critical materials.
Cusi had in turn recommended to the ECs that “a vulnerability assessment be made to ascertain those highly prone areas to disasters to mitigate effects of calamity.”
He asked the ECs to “submit your individual disaster preparedness courses of action so we will know how to deal with and what to do when your area is affected.”
Just recently, NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong cast plans on the institutionalization of a ‘comprehensive emergency fund’ that could swiftly aid electric cooperatives on strikes of damaging natural disasters and other catastrophic events.
This fund, he expounded, shall be able to assist ECs and their member-consumers from relief operations up to the time that their operations could already be brought back to tip-top condition.
He indicated that while he is throwing his support to the proposed R750 million ‘disaster fund’ being sponsored by Senate Committee on Energy Chairman Sherwin T. Gatchalian, he wishes that the coverage be made more comprehensive.’’