‘Plant shutdowns, power rate hikes form of extortion’
MANILA – Militant partylist group Bayan Muna on Monday called the planned maintenance shutdown of at least 20 power generating plants in the summer months “legalized extortion.”
Allowing many power plants to shutdown would lead to “very precarious” power supply situation and increase in power rates, said Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate.
“Department of Energy (DOE) Hindi na ba natuto ang
2013, power plants sa nangyari noong na
Malampaya sangkatutak na shutdown ang nagsara dahil sa
kung kaya pumalo kuryente?” Zarate said. ng napakataas na singil ng “Noong i mbestigasyon
Bayan Muna ng Kongreso ito, isa sa mga rekomendasyon ng
plant shutdowns, ay hindi dapat nagsasabay- sabay ang mga pero mukhang ‘ di ito sinunod at ngayon ganito na naman. DOE Parang nananadya tuloy ang
para tumaas ang singil sa kuryente, at, kpag tututol naman tayo ay tatakutin tayo
panahon.” na magbobrownout habang
In the presentation made by napaka-init ng National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to the DOE and other relevant stakeholders last March 22, the power facilities on outage will include Calaca Unit 1 with 210- megawatt capacity; Pagbilao Unit 1 at 382 MW and Pagbilao Unit 2 at 382 MW; Masinloc Unit 2 at 315 MW; Quezon Power at 456 MW; GNPower Unit 1 at 302 MW; and GNPower Unit 2 at 302 MW.
Other plants scheduling shutdowns are Sta. Rita Module 10 at 250 MW; Sta Rita Module 40 at 250 MW; Kalayaaan Unit 1 at 180 MW; Kalayaan Unit 2 at 180 MW; Ambuklao Unit 3 at 35 MW; Bacon-Manito Unit 1 at 55 MW; Bakun Unit 1 at 35 MW; Limay 6 at 60 MW; Limay 7 at 60 MW; Magat Units 1 and 2 at 90 MW; Magat Units 3 and 4 at 90 MW; and San Roque Units 1, 2 and 3 at 145 MW.
Bayan Muna said t he nationwide “downtown” and “unplanned” power outages will last until June this year according to the energy sector.
“These shutdowns are too numerous and too long and they will definitely cause a spike in