Cebu (CNN Philippines, December 20) — Power demand in the Visayas, especially in the isaland of Cebu, is increasing significant and new power plants are needed even more now, officials from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said.
Although Cebu province has enough power supply, the reserves are getting thin and demand is steadily rising as more industries and business activities thrive in the province.The business sector is also concerned about the projected rise in power cost in Cebu in 2024 with the absence of new inland power plants.On Dec. 18, the Visayas grid only had 241 megawatts (MW) of power reserves, the lowest compared to that of Luzon and Mindanao.Luzon has 2,532MW of power reserves while Mindanao has 960MW of reserves.The entire Visayas grid has a generating capacity of 2,449MW while demand is pegged at 2,209MW. Cebu province accounts for half of the region’s total demand.Metro Cebu alone needs at least 500MW daily or about half of the province’s demands.Atty. Cynthia Perez-Alabanza, NGCP assistant vice president and head for public affairs, said additional inland power plants are needed to bolster the existing capacity, establish reserves, and meet the anticipated boom in investments and population.Alabanza said power consumption continued to rise with the full re-opening of the economy after COVID-19 and that there was even an increase in power demand during the pandemic.“Now, with the economy fully reopening, we are witnessing a substantial surge in power requirements,” she said. “All roads lead to Cebu when we talk about power consumption in the Visayas.”Abner Bardoquillo, NGCP network operations senior manager for the Visayas, said Cebu needs to build more inland power plants for it to have self-sufficient power supply.With its rising population and growing investments, Cebu has to generate its power supply and not rely on sources outside the province, especially during emergencies.The Department of Energy and the NGCP have previously announced that Cebu has been picked as one of the main sites for large generation capacity expansion.Before the pandemic, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) identified the potential of Cebu for new investments in heavy and extractive industries, including shipbuilding and other allied activitie; car manufacturing and car parts manufacturing; aerospace parts; resource-based industries; and fabricated metals.The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has expressed its concern about the high cost of power to the national government.Former CCCI president Felix Taguiam emphasized that resolving Cebu’s power cost challenges hinges on the province’s ability to independently meet its energy demands.Taguiam suggested that if Cebu can achieve self-sufficiency in power generation, it could ease the issue of costly electricity.
