Distribution lines of electric cooperatives can’t handle load – MinDA official
TAGUM CITY (MindaNews / 31 August) — “Quality issues” surrounding the distribution lines of electric cooperatives have mainly caused the series of blackouts that hit certain areas of Mindanao, an official of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said.
In an interview with MindaNews on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro, MinDA Deputy Executive Director, said electric cooperatives need to upgrade their distribution assets.
“These are quality issues because of load volatility and fluctuation,” he said.
“There are many areas that are going through power issues but not necessarily because of supply,” he added.
Montenegro said the distribution lines provided by electric cooperatives may not withstand the amount of electric power supply.
“That also correspond[s] to the need for improvement and expansion of our transmission [sic] assets especially at the electric operative level,” he added.
(Transmission lines are those that carry electricity from a power plant or power station to the various substations, while distribution lines, the ones being maintained by electric cooperatives, transport electricity from the substation to the consumers.)
With the availability of power plants established in Mindanao in the last seven years, the distribution lines of cooperatives have become congested, Montenegro said.
“Frequency should be stable (in power lines),” he added in the vernacular, pointing out that instability causes fluctuation and power interruption.
Montenegro said these instances cause damage to appliances.
He added that electric cooperatives must ensure that their internal infrastructure could withstand the increasing supply in their respective areas.
He said the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines is doing its part to expand the transmission highways.
“Electric cooperatives must make necessary corresponding investments and adjustments as well of these transmission assets to address load fluctuation,” he said.
He assured they will assist these electric cooperatives by linking them with development partners for training and capacity building, as well as to potential investors in power generation.
Montenegro pointed out that as service-oriented entities, electric cooperatives do not necessarily generate income, but if there’s any profit, it is only enough for improvement of their services.
“That’s where we come in also in terms of bringing in potential support from our development partners, agencies that can come in with some of the investment for facilities that electric cooperatives will not afford,” he said.
He said that while blackouts may not disappear, there is always enough power supply for Mindanao.
During his presentation at the Mindanao Chamber development workshop Wednesday, he noted that Mindanao exports 400 megawatts daily to the Visayas grid and 200 MW to the Luzon grid. (Razl TJ Eman/MindaNews)
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