CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) -- The management of Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO) prepares plans that will reduce the cost of electricity, as well as provide immediate solution to massive brownouts.
This will be a long-term plan that aims to guarantee a lower price of electricity and shorter brownouts in the future.
In a memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed recently between Ormeco and the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO), the two parties agreed to create an upgraded Small Island Grid System operation in the province.
Engr. Humphrey A. Dolor, who is temporarily assigned as general manager of Ormeco by the National Electrification Administration (NEA) led the signing of MOA with Transco President and CEO Atty. Jainal Abidin Bahjin II together with Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito A. Dolor as primary witness during the MOA signing.
Prof. Rowaldo Del Mundo presented the system operation program for Oriental Mindoro. He said that included in the signed memorandum is a provision of training programs to engineers of Ormeco, as part of their preparation for the more upgraded operation once the project is interconnected with the small grid.
There is also a plan to conduct a competitive selection process (CSP) based on the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) Law.
EPIRA mandates the Energy Regulatory Commission to promote competition, encourage market development, ensure consumer choice, and penalize abuse of market power in the restructured electricity industry. It aims to ensure cheap and reliable electricity in the entire country.
Moreover, Gov. Dolor encouraged big business establishments in the province to cooperate and help in obtaining funds for the purchase of fuels that could be utilized by Ormeco in its power distribution, especially in areas lacking power supply.
Dolor said this is in connection to limited supply of fuels and the halt in providing subsidies of Power One from Napocor due to the continuous rise of petroleum products in the world market.
At present, the Ormeco management continuously helps Power One to identify possible financiers that may help in purchasing fuels as well as in emergency procurement of generator set to ease brownouts in the province. (LTC/PIA-OrMin)
