Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) — The National Electrification Administration (NEA) and Power Systems Inc. (PSI) agreed to operate the latter’s San Jose power plant, providing residents of Occidental Mindoro with 5 to 6 megawatts of free additional power supply for two months.
In a statement on Wednesday, NEA said it will contract PSI for a two-month term as a national government subsidy, which means costs will not be passed on to consumers.NEA will cover for the cost of operation for the first two months, that is the help we’ll get from the National Government in the person of President Bongbong Marcos,” NEA administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said.
This comes after Occidental Mindoro was placed under a state of calamity due to power outages that last 16 to 20 hours a day.
READ: Occidental Mindoro appeals for gov’t, Marcos action to end power crisis
Almeda visited the province on Tuesday to inspect PSI’s power plant, which he said will provide residents with around six to seven hours of electricity a day.
NEA said leasing the power plant is among the measures it is undertaking to resolve the energy crisis that has plagued Occidental Mindoro. Almeda earlier asked for three weeks to find solutions to the power outages.
According to Almeda, the two-month deal is also to give the DMCI Power Corporation enough time to supply the 17 MW to Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc., subject to the emergency power supply agreement that will last until March 31, 2024.
The DMCI promised to roll out 10 MW in 30 days and 7 MW in two months,” the NEA chief added.
