FORMER Cavite Congressman and Nacionalista Party senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla said he is open to nuclear energy as an option to solve an impending power crisis in the country but “an honest-to-goodness electricity audit” should first be done on existing Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

Remulla, who visited Dagupan last week, said he has found out that some IPPs are not producing the maximum capacity that they are supposed to generate.

An audit, he said, can determined whether there is actually a need to build new power plants.

He cited as an example an IPP he visited in Quezon that he found to be generating just 100 megawatts when it has a maximum generating capacity of 1,000 megawatts.

Remulla said an official of the power plant told him that they are producing below maximum capacity because the Luzon Grid can only accommodate 100 megawatts from them.

He added that the country should avoid a situation similar to what happened in 1992 during the Ramos administration when several IPPs were contracted to build power plants in a rush, which resulted in higher cost of electricity for consumers.

Then President Fidel Ramos had to use emergency powers to address the energy crisis in the country.

NUCLEAR ENERGY

When asked about the use of nuclear energy, Remulla said he is not opposed to that option asa technology.

Remulla said he agrees with 5th District Rep. Mark Cojuangco who proposed the revival of the moth-balled Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

“I agree with Mark (Cong. Cojuangco). I know where he is coming from. I know that we really need new sources of electricity,” said Remulla, the youngest senatorial candidate of the country at 34.

There have been reports, however that Pangasinan is not among the provinces being eyed by the National Power Corporation as possible sites for nuclear power plants.–LM

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