P6 billion needed to ensure sufficient electricity during May polls

The National Power Corp. (Napocor), the Philippines’ largest power producer, will require six billion pesos to ensure sufficient power supply during the May 2010 elections. The figure – the same amount remitted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to the national government this year – will cover expenses for Napocor’s contingency plan, its president Froilan Tampinco said. The plan involves providing “a few megawatts of mobile capacities that can be moved from one area to another," Tampinco told reporters. Reserve power drawn up under the contingency plan may also be used for the Visayas, which is currently experiencing a power shortage, he said. The province has been concerned about the electricity needs of its exporters, Tampinco said. "The contingency plan will have to include [Visayas’ power needs] while waiting for actual baseloads to come in," he said. The Napocor official also disclosed that the Commission on Elections will be purchasing batteries that can power 82,200 precinct count optical scan machines (PCOS) for twelve hours. Real preparations should focus on the Visayas and the Mindanao grids – which are currently experiencing a supply lack – to avoid any problems “before and after the elections," he said. Earlier, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes raised the possibility of power failure during the elections since electricity demand has outpaced supply. Not enough power plants are being built, Reyes said. - GMANews.TV