New facility to bring down Boracay power cost by Q3

Boracay Island, Aklan – Electricity rates here are expected to decline significantly in the next quarter once Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco) starts sourcing power from the newly-constructed 7.5-megawatt (MW) power facility of Mirant Global in Nabas, Aklan.

"Resort owners may see a significant decrease in the amount they spend for electricity as a result of a newly inaugurated power facility in the Aklan mainland," Akelco executive officer Erico Bucoy said.

Bucoy said once resort owners, which still utilize generators to power their establishments, shift to regular power supply provided by Akelco, they can realize a substantial savings on their electricity bills.

"The new power plant put up by Mirant Global will ensure a more reliable flow of power to the island," Bucoy said.

President Arroyo inaugurated Thursday the diesel power plant put up by the Mirant-Metrobank group.

Bucoy said resorts can now rely less on generator sets which produce electricity at a cost of P9-P15 per kilowatthour.

"Now that the flow of power is more reliable, they can opt to use the regular power lines and save money," he said.

Power through the grid supplied by Akelco, estimated to cost between P7 to P7.50 per kwh, costs significantly less than self-generated power.

Akelco’s projection, Bucoy said, indicate the growing demand for power in Boracay over the next five years. From a current peak demand of 6.4 MW supplied by the cooperative, demand is expected to reach between 20-25 MW in the next five years.

The increased demand is due to the growing number of resorts expected to sprout in the coming years. Among these are the Discovery and Shangrila Hotels, as well as the expansion of Fairways and Bluewater resort.

Akelco is a Class A+ electric cooperative with a collection efficiency of 98 percent. Its service area covers 17 towns in Aklan and two towns in Antique.