Power firms to probe illegal connections

BACOLOD CITY: More than 80,000 electric meters have been discovered to have no seals and 6,000 residences have illegal electricity connections within the franchise area of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), Roel Castro, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFfiCER OF THE Negros Electric Power Corp. (NEPC), said.

Castro made the revelation during the Negros Island Power Forum on Wednesday.

He said that the illegal power connections were discovered during the joint survey of the more than 220,000 consumers of Ceneco.

The illegal connections resulted in a 12 percent overall loss for Ceneco, he said.

“We will conduct a joint investigation with Ceneco,” he said.

Castro said that when the NEPC takes over the operations of Ceneco, those with illegal connections will be cut and asked to apply for a legal connection.

“For every illegal connection, it is the prompt consumers who absorb the power theft. It is so unfair to those who pay religiously and to give justice to the consumers, “he said.

We can file cases against them.” However, he said “it will be very compassionate if they go after them that is why we will just allow them to apply for a legal electricity connection.”

Engineer Rey Maleza, Industry Management Division chief of the Department of Energy, said Negros Occidental faces a power shortage of 50 to 100 megawatts of power.

“That’s why we need power from other islands and that the new line for the Cebu-Negros-Panay grid is crucial for the present power situation,” Maleza said.

He said that the island’s generating capacity of 709 megawatts is not enough.

The forum was aimed at addressing critical issues concerning power distribution in Negros Island.

Frank Carbon, vice president of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stressed the need for industry players to collaboratively work together.

He proposed the establishment of a coordinating council for power security to foster regular meetings among industry players and develop a strategic roadmap for the future.

Bacolod City Councilor Claudio Puentevella, chairman of the Committee on Energy, expressed concerns on the power reliability and its implications on public safety and the city’s evolution into a “Super City.”

Among the concerns of citizens are the rising electricity costs and emphasized the urgency of resolving power interruptions to avert further economic setbacks for local businesses.

Castro underscored the necessity of stable, continuous, and cost-effective power distribution.

He outlined forthcoming plans for Negros Power, centering on regulation, standardization, and modernization to meet the escalating power demands in the region.

Additionally, Castro shed light on upcoming projects like the CNP Cebu-Negros-Panay backdoor initiative to enhance power supply and distribution efficiency.

He emphasized the importance of load profile management, adapting energy sources to seasonal fluctuations and increasing demands.