BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Private distribution utility Negros Electric and Power Corporation will work to bring down the price of electricity contracted from generation firms it will have power supply agreements with even as its president said they are ready to “take over” the operations of Center Negros Electric Cooperative by August 1 should President Ferdinand Marcos Jr sign their franchise and their certificate of public convenience and necessity had already been issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Roel Castro told reporters today that while he cannot say for sure when House Bill 9805 will be signed or when the CPCN would be issued but should it happen as early as August 1 or 13 days from now, Castro aid they will be “ready,” echoing his pronouncement last month that they will “hit the ground running.”
NEPC will become the first private distribution utility in Negros island after its joint venture agreement with Central Negros Electric Cooperative was affirmed by member consumers in a plebiscite last year to allow the firm led by billionaire businessman Enrique Razon to improve the ailing power distribution system for four major cities – Bacolod and neighboring Bago, Talisay and Silay.
Castro gave the assurance in an informal presser after his remarks to open a briefer on power NEPC hosted for the local press that covered topics from power industry bodies, a review of the EPIRA to a rate setting discussion.
Halfway into the rate setting discussion, Engineer Christian John Villena said they are already working to lower the rates offered by power suppliers with whom they are currently negotiating for bilateral agreements.
Villena also said they will have to trim down further the systems loss or electricity that is either stolen or lost in the distribution system through dissipation that is at more than nine percent under CENECO.
Private DUs, meanwhile, are required by law to maintain a systems loss cap of only 5.5 percent.
Lower costs of contracted power and systems loss, the NEPC speakers said, would affect the cost of electricity being paid for by consumers.
