Energreen’s practice ‘unfair to Ceneco, consumers’

BACOLOD City – David Tan of Energreen Power Inter-Island Corp. and Central Negros Power Reliability Inc. (Cenpri) should admit that his company has no moral ground and right to demand collection for his company’s power supply that is not delivered to Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), according to an official of the cooperative who asked for

temporary anonymity because of his sensitive position.

“Finally, it is the consumers and the general public that will bear the expenses and obligation of Ceneco even though the latter never received the power supply from Energreen/Cenpri. This is not only a criminal offense. It is also patently anomalous and unconscionable,” the official said.

On Aug. 5, 2013, Ceneco and Energreen signed an agreement that the latter should provide 18.9 megawatts (MW) power to the electric cooperative within a 15-year period.

What the power supplier has so far delivered is 12.6 MW from its diesel plant in Barangay Calumangan, Bago City, Negros Occidental.

According to Tan, part of their agreement was “to provide power reliability capacity standby,” which means that Ceneco should be charged with “standby rate” even if it does not use the contracted power.

Ceneco officials vehemently disagreed with Tan because that condition is “unfair, highly anomalous and illegal.”

“Where can you find such kind of agreement that you have to pay for something you don’t get? That term is immoral and so lopsided in favor of Energreen/Cenpri,” the cooperative’s official pointed out.

Because of Ceneco’s objection and i ts “under- protest” payment, Energreen sought the intervention of the Energy Regulatory Commission by filing a petition in December 2016. The commission, however, has not yet ruled on the matter.

Ceneco also accused En er green of allegedly over billing the electric cooperative.

“When Energreen’s plant does not run, it should only charge Ceneco with capacity fees. But despite this, David Tan and Cenpri are forcing the