Solons seek sanctions on unscheduled power shutdowns

MANILA, Philippines - Senior administration lawmakers are pushing for the imposition of sanctions against those responsible for unscheduled downtimes or shutdowns of power plants in the country.

Representatives Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro and his brother Maximo of the Abante Mindanao party-list filed House Resolution 2200 “urging the Department of Energy to impose fines and penalties on those responsible for unscheduled downtimes of power plants in the country.”

They said when a power plant has an unscheduled downtime due to various reasons and excuses, many are affected, especially businesses, resulting in lost revenue.

“Some of the effects of an unscheduled downtime include production losses and schedule delays, missed delivery dates, hurried repairs which usually cause future problems, increased work pressure and job stress and even safety risks,” the lawmakers said.

They said most of the time, those responsible for unscheduled downtime have no regard for the harm they put on the economy and on businesses.

“This is the reason why it’s about time the Department of Energy consider imposing fines and penalties, especially during critical months when supply is deemed to be low and demand is rising,” they said.

Government, they said, should ensure power plants and generating companies strictly follow their specific commitments in commissioning their plants as scheduled.