Power coops urged to explore micro-grid systems

BACOLOD CITY: The National Electrification Administration urged the 121 electric cooperatives in the country to explore the micro- grid set up in their respective franchise areas.

NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong said this before more than 800 delegates to the - sembly of the Philippine Rural here recently.

He said he wants Philreca to “rationalize itself from the national down to the regional level.”

- said he will pass a resolution expressing opposition to move to privatize the country’s power cooperatives.

If that happens there will be no more public service but power distributors will evolve into profit- making businesses,

Masongsong said that the Duterte administration recognizes the importance of electrification in spurning development and he wants to hasten the energy program in the rural areas.

“The power industry is a dynamic sector,” he said.

The NEA administrator said the president told him to challenge the energy sector to ensure “access to electricity for all, power availability at all times, power reliability, system efficiency and cheap electricity rates.”

Masongsong added that this year NEA only got P1.8- billion for the government’s rural electrification program, from the proposed P5.2- billion budget.