CORTES, Bohol, Jan. 24 (PIA) -- Bohol Light Company Inc. (BLCI), the Tagbilaran City power utility provider, has asked consumers to be ready for a higher bill for the next month. 

Bohol Electric Cooperative I, which serves 26 towns and about 185,000 power consumers, as well as Bohol Electric Cooperative II, which serves 145.000 consumers, have also informed their consumers about the more expensive diesel power which is being used as temporary power supply now that the cheaper geothermal power has been disrupted by toppled power lines after typhoon Odette. 

Already partially reenergized, portions of Bohol served by BLCI service areas as well as portions of service areas under BOHECO I and II are now re-energized using temporary sources of electricity.

Supplying Bohol's power need is the 32 megawatts (MW) published capacity of Salcon Power Corporation's Power Barge 104 now anchored in Tapal Ubay, and the recommissioned Bohol Diesel Power Plant in Dampas District in Tagbilaran, with an installed capapacity of 17.5 MW.

Both power source,  however, use the more expensive diesel, compared to the more affordable geothermal energy supply from Leyte.

Considering that both power plants generate power using diesel, which is costly, it will have an impact on the generation charge, said BLCI in a statement issued Jan. 8.

Generation charge is a pass-through charge included and to be passed on to consumers in their monthly bills as an electric distribution utility.

At least two National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) special towers which bring the power from Leyte via submarine cables to Carlos P. Garcia island to mainland Bohol are still affected by the aftermath of the storm which collapsed the towers that pass the 80 MW of power from Popoo in Carlos P. Garcia across the channel to Tapal in Ubay.

NGCP, in earlier statements, said it would take them two more months at least to re-erect the special towers that could bring back the energy supply to Bohol.

Now, standby power comes from Salcon Power Corporation's Power barge 104 and the recommissioned Bohol Diesel Power Plant in Dampas District. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)