DEVELOPMENTAL POWER

By Atty. IMMANUEL L. SODUSTA

EXCESS POWER IN AKLAN

On December 7, 2009 Ms. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was in Aklan. She inaugurated two important projects. One is the bio-mass power plant in Venturanza, Banga, costing about 30 million US dollars with a capacity of 12 mega watts.

The other is the opening of a Roll On Roll Off (RORO) new route in New Washington. Incidentally, the projects are owned or controlled by only one family and it helps a lot when the owner is a friend of the president or her husband as the president got to inaugurate both on the same day.

The concern here is on the bio-mass power plant. When the same will be finished in about a year or so, it will supply 2.5 megawatts of the power needs of Aklan and Antique. A few months ago, Ms. Arroyo visited Aklan. She went to Libacao to also inaugurate hydro projects. It is projected that the hydro-electric projects that will be constructed in Libacao will generate more or less 8 to 10 megawatts of electricity initially. But will have a capacity of more than 50 megawatts when completed. It is believed that the owners of the hydro electric power projects in Libacao are also friends of the President for no president has yet gone to the mountains of Libacao just to open a project.

Another company is in the process of starting a hydro power project in Madalag. It will not be surprising if the president will again come to Aklan to inaugurate this project. It is not yet known how much electricity this project will generate, but it is assumed this will not be lower than 8 megawatts.

With all the power projects being undertaken in the province of Aklan and if they all go ahead with their plans it is foreseen that there will be excess electric power produced in Aklan than what it needs. Presently, the need of Aklan and some parts of Antique is only 30 to 35 megawatts. Non-peak consumption is only about 17 megawatts.

So what happens to the excess power? Aklan is part of the Panay grid in electricity distribution. Panay grid is in turn a part of the Visayas grid. The transmission lines for the whole grid intersect and power from other parts of the Visayas may be distributed to other parts within the grid. Aklan has always been in the receiving end and in fact it is the end of Panay and even the Visayas grid. The province’s geographic location is one of the reasons for its unstable supply of electricity.

It seems that some bright boys have already the answer and have even prepared for this excess power situation. Distribute the power to the Visayas grid. How to do this? Through a good trans-mission line of course. It will be observed that there is a new transmission line being constructed spanning the whole province. Glistening steel towers span mountains, rivers and fields from Altavas up to Nabas. The towers come all the way from Capiz. This 133 KV line is not yet operational but it will not be long before it is completed. It is supposedly complementary to the existing 69 KV line that we have. Its real use may not bring in electricity to Aklan, but to send it off to other parts of the Visayas grid.

Again, during its inauguration or switching on, it is not surprising if the president will come to do the honors. The new transmission line may not even be owned by the government at that time (TRANSCO) but by a private company that will no doubt be close to the president or her husband. Power really corrupts. /MP