With power outages plaguing Bacolod City earlier this week, the Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ceneco) offered a warning to consumers that, amid the ongoing rainy season, more weather-related outages may occur.
They explained fluctuating temperatures may impact connections, along with pointing to climate change as a cause.
“The expansion/contraction of wires due to hot and cold changes in the temperature of our environment and corrosion on the copper-aluminum joints/terminals, also brought about by climate change, triggers the oxidation or rusting of the joints/terminals,” the utility co-op explained.
Considering other utility firm likely face similar mechanical issues, aside from acknowledging the matter, Ceneco did not reveal any details on how they plan to remedy the situation.
They also mentioned damage to distribution transformers and the accumulation of dust in insulators.
“When [this] dust gets wet, they automatically become conductors, resulting [in] short circuits that will trigger [the] tripping of lines and damage to the equipment,” Ceneco claimed.
An insulator serves as a safety mechanism that maintains electricity flow from conductors and semiconductors while preventing public exposure to the current.
Ceneco officer-in-charge, Engr. Jose Taniongon, earlier blamed the recent power interruptions  on heavy rains and bad weather conditions brought on by Tropical Storm Falcon.
Several areas of the city was without electricity between last Tuesday and Wednesday including Barangays Villamonte, Estefania, Granada, Alangilan, Bata, Sum-ag, Pahanocoy, Punta Taytay, Mandalagan, Mansilingan, Handumanan, Taculing, Singcang, Vista Alegre, and Alijis.
Taniongon said strong winds and continuous rainfall toppled several utility poles.
He noted, the Bacolod-Silay 69kV transmission line, which affected the Burgos, Mountain View, Talisay, Lopez, and Panaogao Feeders, was also tripped./WDJ