Rama seeks solution to high power rates

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is bringing up before the Regional Development Council next month the high cost of power in Central Visayas to solicit ideas from the members of the council how to bring down the power rates.

Rama said that representatives from the various power plants including the electric cooperatives will be invited in the next RDC meeting. Rama, who chairs the council, and the members of the executive committee met yesterday where a briefing was made by the representatives from the power sector on the reasons behind the high power cost in the region.

Among those who were invited in the meeting yesterday were representatives from the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) and National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

Rama said he was not satisfied by the explanation prompting him to invite them again in the full council meeting next month.

Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto is complaining because he believes that of the four provinces in Central Visayas, Bohol has the highest electricity rates.

He said power distributors pass on to the consumers the rental cost of the power lines from the generating plants.

Chatto explained that Bohol is connected to the power source in Cebu through separate cables connecting Cebu to Leyte and Leyte to Bohol.

The high cost of power is directly attributed to the increasing generation and transmission rates charged by the power suppliers through the so-called Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and other factors like Site Specific Loss Adjustment and line rentals.

Rama said that power rate is supposed to go down because of the competition.

“Unsa man nang ila, nagsabot-sabot ra sila?” Rama raised the question when interviewed by reporters.

Rama said there is a need to look for solutions to bring down the power rates for the benefit of the public. – (FREEMAN)