• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) yesterday assured its help for member consumers of Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (NONECO), who have been experiencing widespread blackouts in areas of Manapla, Victorias City and Manapla in northern Negros, for the past three days.
The power outages were triggered after lightning hit the NONECO substation in Victorias City, Atty. John Deles, NONECO area operations manager, disclosed yesterday.
NONECO sought the help of CENECO to address the mounting complaints of its member consumers, with the widespread blackouts in the area for several days.
Deles said they are coordinating with other electric cooperatives to help them in finding temporary power sources.
Aside from CENECO, he said they also talked with the Negros Oriental Electric Cooperative II in Dumaguete City to rent its 10 MVA substation, as well as considered renting from a power firm in Cebu.
“Our technical people are studying if their transformer needs only repair, or we will have to purchase a new unit,” Deles said.
CENECO acting general manager Atty. Arnel Lapore yesterday said that it would take three to four days for NONECO to connect to its substation in E. Lopez in Silay City.
Lapore said they are looking at two options: either tapping the CENECO substation in Brgy E. Lopez, Silay City, to supply power to EB Magalona, or allowing NONECO to use the their 15 MVA transformer at the CyberCenter in Bacolod City, which was donated by Kepco Power.
Tapping the E. Lopez substation will have a problem on power quality when it reaches Manapla, because of the distance, unless there is a step up transformer that will regulate the voltage, Lapore noted.
NONECO can only have quality power until Victorias, unless it has a booster, he added.
Lapore also pointed out that there is no existing power line from Silay City to EB Magalona.
NONECO is asking for 2.4MVA power from distribution facilities.
Lapore assured CENECO consumers that the power supply being requested by NONECO will not affect the power in their coverage area.
“We are coordinating with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to reset their line,” he further said.*
