By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson revealed yesterday morning that representatives from Energy Development Corporation (EDC) announced plans to re-open the geothermal power plant in Bago City’s Barangay Mailum.

Lacson said representatives met with him on Wednesday, June 21, presenting their plans to tap five megawatts of power to be generated from the power plant.

“It will be a smaller plant. When they targeted 40 megawatts before, I think it was not a good idea because it caused other problems,” Lacson said.

The governor said their wells and pipes were clogged up.

Lacson said if there is less output, then there’s not much pressure on the wells.

When asked about the claims made by environmentalist groups that EDC wells have gone into the protected zone of Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park, Lacson replied “that is their impression.”

He said the EDC expected too much, but they had realized their mistake. That is why they will only target up to five megawatts.

In 2013, EDC shut down the geothermal plant and transferred their equipment to Negros Oriental’s Valencia town.

EDC previously failed to generate the expected 40 megawatts of power from its Bago plant, which generated only six to eight megawatts./DGB, WDJ