YES, LITERALLY speaking, MORE Power is giving the natives of “I Am Iloilo city” more power. Not political, of course, but electricity. And this is above and beyond what they are already providing Iloilo City as its sole power distribution utility.
And we are talking about a standby power source that will help mitigate if not eliminate the occurrence of brownouts.
Interesting but really what’s this supposedly Plan B about?
MORE Power Barge Inc. – a sister company of MORE Electric and Power Corporation – and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) executed a joint application with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for ancillary service which aims to start up power generators during blackouts in Panay Island.
Along that line, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) Committee on Energy and Public Utilities conducted a hearing on the Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (ASPA) between the two companies, with prayer for the issuance of a five-year provisional authority.
The parties specifically applied for a Black Start Ancillary Service (BSAS) – the power barge will provide energy to Panay Island’s power generation plants for them to start up and restore power during blackouts.
This means that the power barge of MORE Power will provide power for the Panay grid so all power plants connected to it can start up in case the transmission system has zero power.
MORE Power barge can provide up to 24 megawatts of power to the 69 kilovolt (KV) transmission line of the NGCP in the Panay grid.
According to Randy Pastolero, MORE Power Barge vice president, through the ancillary service power plants can be powered up as soon as possible and will no longer have to wait for power from Negros. The priority of the Black Start Service is to start up the power plants while NGCP controls the dispatch.
Although it’s still premature to say that brownouts, an unpleasant residue of the previous power utility, will soon be a thing of the past, definitely we can say with this Plan B of MORE Power, the inconvenience of brownouts will greatly be shortened.
Moving on, Roel Z. Castro, president and chief executive officer of MORE Power, recently said: “We are pleased to announce that electricity rates in Iloilo City have decreased for the eighth consecutive month this year. Our commitment to providing affordable electricity remains steadfast. Despite challenges, we persist in delivering tangible benefits to our customers. This achievement stands as a testament to the dedication and patience of our Energy Sourcing team, as they consistently seek cost-efficient power generation supply, incorporate renewable energy, and leverage favorable market conditions.”
This means MORE Power’s residential electricity rate of P10.9840 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the August billing was reduced by P0.4333/kWh as compared to the previous month’s rate of P11.4173/kWh.
The increased delivery and ancillary service charge of P0.0659/kWh was counterbalanced by a substantial reduction in the generation charge by P0.3939/kWh. This was primarily attributed to a reduction in fuel costs associated with purchased electricity, particularly from power suppliers such as KEPCO SPC, constituting a 19.06% share in energy procurement, and Sem Calaca Power with a 30.90% share.
MORE Power has further decreased the System Loss charge by P0.0237/kWh, attributing it to a reduction in actual system loss. The current 12-month average system loss as of July 2023 remains at 5.85%.
In line with the company’s dynamic strategy, lifeline subsidies have undergone adjustment due to the automatic exclusion of residents in subdivisions, condominiums, and villages. Added to that, the Universal Charge (UC) for Missionary Electrification (UC-ME) has been reduced following the successful culmination of the 12-month NPC true-up adjustment, which was entirely billed in the preceding month.
The collective impact of these strategic measures has inevitably led to a concurrent decrease in VAT and other taxes, providing consumers with relief from financial strain.
MORE Power consumers can expect the decrease reflected in their billing statements, effective Aug. 18 to Sept. 14, 2023.
And finally, Nong Moroy soon goes to Bacolod to light up the City of Smiles./PN
