By Mae Singuay
The Power Watch Negros (PWN) has high expectations for the proposed joint venture of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) with MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) in terms of efficient services for the consumers of the Negros-based electric cooperative.
PWN secretary-general Wennie Sancho claimed that Ceneco failed in their task of overhauling and rehabilitating the most basic facilities, particularly the substations and power lines which were literally overheating due to full capacity.
“As of now, most of Ceneco’s substations were in derelict conditions and were approaching maximum capacity. The substation does not include transformer differential that protects the power transformers from internal and external faults,” Sancho said.
He added that there were no calibrations of thousands of old and defective meters and to check massive pilferage by unscrupulous consumers.
Ceneco failed to replace its distribution lines and poles with insulated and sturdier ones, including new technology and gadgets, the group leader said.
Sancho advised Ceneco that they should have been fully committed to the upgrading of power infrastructures to meet the needs of the consumers.
“Against the background of enumerating the dismal failure of Ceneco to serve its consumers, we would like to think that the framers of the proposed joint venture had incorporated the complaints we had cited as one of the underlying principles to level up the technical operation of Ceneco as the platform of the joint venture, by harnessing modern technology using the geographical information system,” he said.
The group leader hopes that MORE Power will come up with a scheme to reconfigure the system when there are sudden and unscheduled interruptions.
The substations and feeders will be in coordination if there are brownouts, he stressed.
The PWN is looking forward to the proposed joint venture that will result in shorter and fewer interruptions, because all the components can fill in the void due to efficient technical operations, so that if one substation or feeder loses supply, the other facilities can take over and resume supply at the fastest possible time.
Sancho hopes that the joint venture could bring more to the consumers by way of a more affordable, reliable, efficient and stable power supply system.
Above all, the joint venture should strive to operationalize the state-of-the-art control center and set up a robust distribution system with maximum tolerance for causes of unintended outages.
This new system will have the capacity to handle bigger demand from consumers and industries, he added.
“If the joint venture can deliver the aspirations of the consumers and will bring progress in our cities and municipalities, there is no reason not to support [it],” the PWN said.
“We are consistent in our advocacy to save and protect Ceneco’s consumers and remove the corrupt and incompetent officers and employees [of the cooperative],” it added./MS, WDJ