The wait is over Capitol power substation to switch on March 12
If plans don't miscarry the capitol's multi-million power substation which has become idle for two years will already be operational by March 12.
Governor Niel Tupas Sr. in his regular press conference disclosed that the contractor's engineers already gave a go signal that the power substation is already functional.
The engineers from Alstom and Ferrowelds, the substation's contractors, were in Iloilo the other week to prepare the power facility for the much-awaited interconnection.
As this developed Tupas said a Transmission and Supply Agreement between the Iloilo Provincial Government and the National Power Corporation (NPC) has already been made.
The governor said the transfer of power from Panay Electric Company, the existing power source, to the NPC would take place on March 11, a Sunday. The following day, Tupas said, the Capitol would already be using power direct from NPC.
To note, the Energy Regulation Commission (ERC) in a decision dated October 25, 2006 granted the provisional authority approving the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Contract for the Supply of Electricity (CSE) between the Iloilo Provincial Government and National Power Corporation (NPC).
The provincial government would use the sub-transmission lines of the Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation (PFMC), located some meters away from the Capitol, in connecting to the nearest NPC plant in Loboc, La Paz district.
Earlier, PFMC and Peco embroiled in a legal battle for the Capitol's bid for a direct power connection with NPC.
PFMC faced opposition from Peco saying direct connection to NPC and Transco is a blatant violation of laws and regulations and prejudicial to the general interests of the general public.
Specific of Peco's objections were that direct connection as supposedly allowed under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act or EPIRA Law has been modified and it will cause gross financial loss to Peco.
The objection also carried the clear objection as it pointed out that with the Foremost's direct connection comes the link with the Iloilo Provincial Government "contrary to law and prejudicial to public safety." Further still, Peco maintained, "the set-up would allow an end-user to become and act as an electric distributor itself," and the "set-up will ultimately hurt the customers of Peco in general."
Tupas said by having a direct connection with NPC the Capitol could save by as much as 100,000 a month in electricity expenses.