Negros Occ needs coal-fired power plant

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. Monday said Negros Occidental needs coal-fired power plants, such as those being proposed to be constructed in Cadiz City, to address the looming power shortage of the province.

Renewable energy such as hydro, wind, and solar would not be enough, he said. “We encourage renewable energy but it doesn’t mean we’ll stick to it because hydro, solar and wind have limits,” he said, while airing his support for the planned construction of two coal-fired power plants in Cadiz City.

Cadiz City Mayor Patrick Escalante said Philippine Power Corp., a conglomeration of Filipino and Chinese investors, is planning to put up a 70-megawatt coal fired power plant, while Pacific Energy Corp., owned by Indonesian, Filipino and Chinese investors, is proposing a 100-megawatt plant, all in a 50-hectare area of the Cadiz Port Zone.

Green Alert Negros (GAN) has criticized the project saying a coal fired-power plant in Negros is not and will never be an option in response to the claimed power crisis by the Department of Energy.

There were many investors interested in renewable energy (wind, hydro and solar), but Marañon argued that a hydro-electric power plant has a limited capacity, solar energy is only good when there is sun, while the province has no vast amount of wind.

“We still need some non-renewable energy like gas, coal and nuclear. I am in favor of nuclear power plant because it is the cheapest,” he said, adding that the Cadiz City government has the power to approve the construction and operation of coal-fired power plants in their area.

Iloilo has a coal-fired power plant, which was first planned to be put up in Negros, the governor said. “Now we get our power from Iloilo. What do we do if the submarine cable (which supplies power from Iloilo to Negros) gets broken?” he asked.

Negros Occidental has no power source of its own yet, and the province is faced with a looming power shortage, he said. “That is bad for our investors; it will discourage them from putting up businesses here knowing we have no stable power source,” Marañon added. —(FREEMAN)