POWER restoration efforts are underway to bring back electricity supply to 970,814 customers affected by the onslaught of Tropical Storm Kristine mostly in Luzon and Visayas regions.
During the Task Force on Energy Resiliency (TFER) press conference on Wednesday, October 23, National Electrification Administration (NEA) director Eric Campoto said initial estimated damage cost to power infrastructure due to the typhoon amounted to P971,410, as reported by Nueva Ecija II Electric Cooperative-Area 1 and Tablas Island Electric Cooperative, both in Luzon; and Leyte II Electric Cooperative in the Visayas.
“Inaasahan po natin na baka po tumaas po itong damage cost kasi po ‘yong ibang ECs (electrical cooperatives) po ay ongoing assessment po, and ‘yong track po ng bagyo ay hindi pa talaga siya tumatama sa lupa,” Campoto said.
He reported that as of 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 86 ECs from 52 provinces and 12 regions were under monitoring due to the weather disturbance.
He said six ECs are in total power interruption, 29 had partial power interruption, while 50 ECs were in normal operation.
On the other hand, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said a total of 25 power lines affecting 19 distribution utilities in nine provinces were affected by “Kristine”.
Of the 25 transmission lines, two are 230 kilovolt (kV) lines and 23 are 69 kV lines and below.
NGCP Geomatics and Command Center manager Paul Michael Azur said one 230 kV lines and 16 69 kV lines have so far been restored.
There was no advisory yet as to when power supply would be restored in all the affected areas. (PNA)
