Renewable energy advocates oppose privatization of power plants

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Advocates for renewable energy and electric cooperatives in Mindanao renewed its opposition to the privatization of the Agus and Pulangi power plants in the recently concluded two-day power congress in Cagayan de Oro on Tuesday.

At the congress, the Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperative (Amreco) and Mindanao Congress of the Advocates for Renewable Energy Development (MinCARED) urged President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to immediately release the budget intended for the repairs of Agus and Pulangi hydro plants and request the full rehabilitation of existing hydro power plants in order to restore their full generating capacity.

One of the resolutions approved during the power congress is fast-tracking the implementation of the P2.6 billion and P1 billion for repair and rehabilitation of Agus 4 and 5 and Baloi, respectively.

Mindanao has reached an average 92 megawatts (MW) power deficiency daily that caused the massive rotational brownouts in different areas in the island, reaching a maximum 16 hours.

Stanley Uriarte, chief executive officer of the Institute of Power Sector Economics (IPSE) and MinCARED event organizer earlier said that through the congress they hope to influence the government policy vis-à-vis its policy in Mindanao.

“Mindanao has always been last in terms of appropriation and priority with regard to budget and often made as ‘laboratory’ for the government’s new policies in the context of managing resources, power resources, among others,” Uriarte said.

He said the government must listen to the needs and perception of consumers as regards affordability of energy power since “oftentimes there is an error of policy and judgment of government where consumers are not well thought of.” Hybrid economic dispatch The resolution, unanimously approved by the members, also recommended the application of “Hybrid Economic Dispatch” in Mindanao.

In another forum organized recently by the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber), Engr. Cerael Donggay presented that in times of abnormal power situation in which supply is lower than the demand, the “hybrid economic dispatch” shall be applied thus, Power Barges 117 and 118 and other diesel plants including the river Pulangi 4 Hyrdro Plant must run. Sunnex