Power facilities in ‘Usman’-hit areas secure

NGCP linemen wade through chin-deep floodwaters in their efforts to restore the transmission line in Northern Samar affected by LPA Usman. (NGCP image)

Generation and transmission facilities are generally back to normal in Typhoon Usman-hit areas, Department of Energy (DoE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said on Friday, 4 January.

“Our team worked 24/7 even on holidays just to ensure the safety and continual provision of our services to our kababayans who mostly needed energy and other assistance. Nais nating iparating na walang iwanan kahit anong kalamidad pa man ‘yan,” Cusi after inspecting affected areas together with members of Task Force on Energy Resiliency.

“All generation facilities are secured except the diesel-fired power plant in Viga, Catanduanes,” he said.

According to the National Power Corporation, operator of the said plant, flooding in the plant continues to subside and it targets plant restoration on 7 January to normalize the power system in the island grid.

On the transmission system, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines reported that it has normalized all affected transmission assets since 31 December 2018.

“In the case of distribution facilities, the remaining households for re-energization account for a total of 8,258 households,” Cusi said.

Meanwhile, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) reported that out of the 41 distribution utilities affected by Usman, only five electric cooperatives (EC) covering 17 barangays and one sitio are left for restoration.

NEA Administrator Edgardo R. Masongsong mentioned that once the places affected by the landslides and floods are readily accessible to the restoration teams, the normalization of the power systems of the remaining EC can be completed in seven days.

The energy chief also stressed that “price freeze” applies to household LPG and kerosene for 15 days upon the declaration of the state of calamity in an area. The price freeze declaration means there is no increase in the prices of the affected goods.

DoE Undersecretary Alexander S. Lopez, Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella, NEA Administrator Masongsong, NEA Deputy Administrator Artis Nikki Tortula, NEA Acting Director Eric Villar and Bicol Electric Cooperatives Association President Edwin Lamadrid checked the situation in Bicol region to assess what the other energy needs are in the calamity affected areas.