Enough power supply this summer: DLPC

DABAWENYOS need not worry this summer season about brownout as Davao Light and Power Corporation (DLPC) assured they have enough power supply for their franchise area in the coming months.

“From April to May we are expecting a demand of 410 megawatts (MW),” Engr. Roger Velasco, DLPC executive vice president and COO, said in an interview during the private power distributor’s turnover ceremony at F. Bangoy National High School yesterday.

Velasco said DLPC has a contracted supply of 453 MW.

“We don’t expect there would be a shortage as a number of plants will be running. Compared to last summer where only one power plant was operating, this time, we are sourcing power from a number of big companies not to mention the incoming hydro power plants to be situated in Mindanao,” he said.

The power distributor currently has a power supply agreement with SMC Global Power, Therma South Inc., Therma Marine Inc., Saranggani Energy Corporation, National Power Corporation, and Hedcor.

Velasco noted that of seven sources, the National Power Corporation has the largest supply with 160 MW.

“With these in place, the possibility of having brownouts is very very low,” he added.

Velasco said Mindanao

currently has a dependable capacity of around 2500 MW, which is enough to cater to the island’s demand of around 1500 MW.

In the past three administrations under Presidents Benigno C. Aquino III, Gloria MacapagalArroyo, and Joseph E. Estrada, Mindanao has been battling power shortage every summer months as water from its main source, the Lanao Lake goes down and cannot generate the needed hydroelectric power for the whole Mindanao. ABS