Gov. Petilla looks at other options for adequate power supply in Leyte, EV

By Provincial Media Relations Center
September 6, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho L. Petilla is looking at other possible options for the region to face further encumbrance in power supply should the issue on privatization of power generating plants continue.

One of this option, the governor said, is for the region to build its own power-generating plant.

This option, he said, has already been suggested to other governors in the Eastern Visayas region. An idea, he added, which the governors remains open to.

He added that the governors in the region would have to wait for the power supply situation on the entire Visayas to normalize before going ahead with the building of its own power-generating plant at the government-owned Leyte geothermal fields.

“It is an option should we continue to experience problems. But knowing that it would really, really be costly, that is an option we have to reserve as a last one,” Gov. Petilla said.

He otherwise said this plan will depend on the commercial operations in the Visayas of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) this coming Sept. 26.

The Visayas’ power situation remains volatile but it is expected to improve in a few months, according to Gov. Petilla.

Through WESM, which will be operated by Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), power can be bought through bidding.