All power generating companies involved in the recent unplanned and forced outages that resulted in rotating brownouts in the Luzon grid should be penalized.
This was the call of infrastructure-oriented think tank Infrawatch PH to the Senate energy committee, which is led by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
“The public demands an explanation how in the world was it possible that major generating plants suddenly become unavailable in such a short window of time. More importantly, the public should not be made to pay for these unplanned shutdowns. It should be these gencos that should pay the costs of higher power rates in the spot market,” said Infrawatch PH convenor and former member of the House energy committee Terry Ridon.
Ridon added that these power plants caused last Friday’s red alert: San Miguel Consolidated Power Corp. (SCPC) Unit 2, with 150-MW; Sual Unit I of Team Energy and San Miguel, with 647-MW; Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. (SLPGC) Unit 2 of DMCI, with 150-MW; Pagbilao Unit 3 of Team Energy and Aboitiz Power, with 420-MW; South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp. (SLTEC) Unit 1 of AC Energy with 135-MW..
“We note that these generating plants are operated by country’s leading conglomerates, and thus, all the more should they be made to explain why their plants went out, and whether they are making a commitment to bear the costs of higher power prices from the spot market,” he said.
Ridon said the government should begin penalty proceedings if the electric cooperative refuse to make a voluntary commitment.
“The main concern of the public during these times is more on the higher costs due to the unplanned shutdowns. We can more ably bear rotating brownouts than higher power rates for reasons we have absolutely nothing to do with,” he added.