2 investors mull renewable power plants in NegOcc

BACOLOD City – Two investors plan to construct renewable power plants in Negros Occidental, according to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.

S p e c i f i c a l l y, h e s a i d , they were eyeing to build a hydropower plant and a solar power plant.

One investor wanted the hydro power plant erected along the Bago River.

The other i nvestor, on the other hand, planned to construct a solar power plant in the town of Hinoba-an.

H y d r o p o w e r , o r hydroelectric power, i s a renewable source of energy that generates power by using a dam or diversion structure to alter the natural flow of a river or other body of water. Hydropower relies on the endless, constantly recharging system of the water cycle to produce electricity, using a fuel — water — that is not reduced or eliminated in the process.

Solar power, meanwhile, is the conversion of renewable energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect.

Lacson welcomed t he interest to supply the province with renewable energy. He said one of his primary goals is attracting new investors for Negros Occidental which would generate more employment opportunities for the Negrenses.

In recent years, Negros Occidental became active in pursuing renewable energy such as biomass and solar power plants.

The province is already home of one of the biggest solar power plant farms in southeast Asia, l ocated i n Hacienda Paz in Cadiz City’s Barangay Tinampaan. This solar power plant could generate 132.5 megawatts of power./