Most local distributors do not get power from Sual, San Roque
LINGAYEN—Pangasinan is host to two independent power producers (IPPs), the 1,000-megawatt coal-fired Sual Power Plant and the 110-megawatt San Roque Hydro-Electric Plant, but only one of four electric distribution companies in the province are getting power from these local sources.
The reason? Power from Sual and San Roque don’t come cheaper.
This came about at the resumption last Monday of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) inquiry in aid of legislation about the rate increase imposed by Pangasinan Electric Cooperative I (Panelco) in December, which was also attended officials of all the four electricity distributors in Pangasinan.
During the first inquiry session the previous week, Fifth District Board Member Danny Uy said the people in eastern Pangasinan serviced by Panelco feel “short-changed” over what is happening because they were promised lower power rates, aside from irrigation supply, once the San Roque Power Plant in San Manuel is built.
“It (the power plant) is benefiting others from its low power rate while we pay higher electric costs,” Uy said.
At present, only the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (Cenpelco) is getting power directly from the Sual Coal-fired Power Plant through San Miguel Energy Corporation (SMEC), the IPP administrator of the Sual Power Plant operated by Team Energy.
WHERE’S THE BENEFIT?
Sixth District Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. expressed surprise over this as he recalled that when these two power plants were being built during the administration of then President Fidel V. Ramos, Pangasinenses were assured that these two projects will be beneficial in terms of providing sufficient and cheaper electricity to the province.
SMEC absorbs most of the power produced by Sual and San Roque, which it then sells to different electric cooperatives and other power distributors throughout Luzon.
Cenpelco Officer-in-Charge Rodrigo Corpuz said they are buying power from SMEC at an average of P4.00 per kilowatt hour (kwh), which it bills to electric consumers as power generation charge.
On the other hand, Panelco, which is serving the western part of the province where the Sual Coal-fired Power Plant is located, gets its power from the Masinloc Power Corporation in adjacent Zambales at the rate of P5.25/kwh in December and P5.48/kwh in January.
Asked why Panelco I is not buying power from Sual through SMEC, Dionisio Opolento Jr., acting general manager, said the rate offered by Masinloc Power Plant “is the most advantageous to us”.
The Dagupan Electric Corporation (Decorp), which is privately-owned, is getting power from SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet at P4.15/kwh to P4.30/kwh while it sources its residual requirements from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), which increased its rates starting in December.
On the other hand, the Pangasinan Electric Cooperative III (Panelco III) based in eastern Pangasinan where the San Roque Hydro-electric Plant is located is getting power mainly from GN Power Mariveles Corporation and 10 per cent of its requirement from WESM.
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