Electric coops renew call vs privatization

By HUSSEIN MACATORO
Editor

THE unsolved problem on Mindanao’s unstable power should make the government rethink its privatization plan, said Association of Mindanao Rural Electricity Cooperatives Inc. (Amreco) yesterday.

With the looming Napocor-Psalm turnover of management contracted capacities of Mt. Apo Geothermal Power Plants 1 and 2 and the ongoing bid for the Independent Power Producer Administration (Ippa) of Steag, Amreco cautioned the government, and called on it to reconsider the privatization plan.

Amreco, which is composed 34 electric cooperatives in Mindanao, said the island’s power grid has been experiencing a supply shortage since 2012 supposedly as a result of the reduced power generation of Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power and the other power generating plants.

“With this bleak power situation, privatizing the administration of the IPPs would result in the increase of generation costs since the distribution utilities will be compelled to contract out IPPs to their generating plants. Such move will be adding insult to injury and will burden the power consumers the more,” reads an Amreco statement released by its executive director, Clint Djangco Pacana.

Pacana said Amreco was supporting Mindanao power consumers who are carrying out campaigns for the government, particularly the energy sector and the courts, to put a permanent stop to the privatization of Agus-Pulangi hydroelectric power plants.

The group’s statement further reads: “It is the plea of Amreco and its 34 member-electric cooperatives in Mindanao for Napocor-Psalm to defer the privatization of the Ippa of Steag State Power Inc. until the new power plants in the island become fully operational to supply stable power in the grid.”

Amreco has scheduled a public discussion on the matter here on Friday, and is organizing the 1st Northern Mindanao Power Summit anchored on the theme “no to privatization” at the Mindanao University Science and Technology (Must) on Aug. 20. The group is planning a signature campaign against privatization.