Green Core to feed Leyte, Negros 58 MW geothermal power

Green Core Geothermal Inc., a subsidiary of Lopez-owned Energy Development Corp., will supply 58 megawatts (MW) of power to seven electric cooperatives in Leyte and Negros. The company will provide Negros Oriental II Electric Cooperative Inc. 25 MW for 10 years and 33 MW to six members of the Association of Visayas Electric Cooperatives also for 10 years. The cooperatives include Negros Oriental I Electric Cooperative Inc., Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative Inc., Negros Occidental's VMC Rural Electric Service Cooperative Inc., Leyte's Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative Inc., Leyte II Electric Cooperative Inc., and Leyte V Electric Cooperative Inc. The supply will come from the 112.5-MW Tongonan 1 geothermal power plant in Leyte and the 192.5-MW Palinpinon geothermal power plant in Negros Oriental. Green Core acquired the power plants in 2009 from government. Richard Tantoco, Energy Development COO and president, said in a statement the company has always "prioritized electric cooperatives... because we want them to enjoy the benefits of clean, reliable, and affordable power." "We offer the most competitive price in the market and we're investing heavily to improve the reliability of our plants so that power interruptions will be significantly reduced and eventually eliminated," Tantoco said. Energy Development is the largest geothermal producer in the country and the second largest in the world after the US. — JE/VS, GMANews.TV