NEA aims to energize all barangays by year 2005

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) aims to energize all Philippine barangays within five years and achieve a 100-percent household power coverage by 2018, Administrator Conrado Estrella said yesterday.

Estrella, citing the agency's goal to energize to 10,125 barangays until 2005 -- or 2,025 barangays a year, stressed the need to scout for more funding opportunities, and farm out energization projects to either private investor-owned utilities (PIOUs) and local government-run utilities (LGUs).

Technology transfer between and among electric distribution utilities is also needed to improve system efficiency, the administrator noted.

"The agency believes it is imperative to foster and organize strategic alliances for the development of new and renewable energy sources like biomass, oceans, solar and wind energies," Estrella said.

With NEA's improving techno-economy viability, the renewable energy sources or NREs are expected to contribute significantly to the country's electricity requirements, both for grid and off-grid areas.

The NEA, Estrella added, is also eyeing the creation of subsidiaries that focus on technology requirements and maintenance of self-sustaining electric cooperatives.

The NEA's annual report states a 100-percent energization level of all 1,450 municipalities and cities within the EC coverage area, 72 percent (26,078 of 36,050) for barangays and 63 percent or 4.81 million of 7.60 million potential house connections.

In 1998, a total of P1.27 billion in loan and subsidiary releases were made available to Ecs.

Subsidy releases for the year amounted to P301.5 million, consisting of pesos and equipment/material releases for nonviable electrification projects.

Loan and subsidy releases in 1997 totalled P733.53 million.