Bohol solar generation

From zero to

90 in 3 years

As he envisioned more investments to pour in capital to Bohol, Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado’s leadership has not just made Bohol power-resilient to jumpstart new industries, he has also convinced investors in green energy development, to catch over a hundred megawatts of solar power to complement its hydro-electric generation.

And in the last three years, from zero in solar power generation, “Bohol now has a potential for at least 90 megawatts of clean, cheap and sustainable power,” sums up media men who joined the Power Outlook Forum organized by More Power: a power distribution Utility in Iloilo.

“Having secured for the island, the redundancy system that could supply Bohol with another 230 kilovolts of power from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ Cebu-Bohol Interconnection Project, Aumentado has permanently shut down the possibility of another widespread blackout when the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project supply gets disrupted by calamities” notes Rice Obedencio, Bohol News Today and Philoippine Star..

From the 128 kilovolts of the LBIP and the few land-based generation facilities top-billed by three hydro-electric power plants in Loboc, Sevilla and Balilihan, as well as the diesel power in Dampas, the option for green energy came with Bohol’s development agenda on sustainable development, Aumentado shared, even as the previous administration succeeded in getting the 95.2 megawatt in-Island Power Plant in Imelda Ubay.

“Intent of making sure an island based power generator for clean energy steps in, in his first few months, the governor convinced Dagohoy Solar Power Plant to build a 27 megawatt solar facility,” Planning Officer Atty John Titus Vistal reported then.

“Towards the end of his first term, Aumentado again succeeded in attracting for Bohol Light Company an 8 megawatt solar farm, which makes Mabuhay Solar Power supplies for the Tagbilaran City distribution utility,” Roel Castro, Bohol Light and More Power President and Chief executive Officer said.

A month before the May National and Local elections, Aumentado also officiated yet again the groundbreaking of a 45 megawatt solar facility in Sevilla, effectively making sure that Bohol secures some 90 megawatts of solar power, all within his first three years as the province’s top official.

“Aside from being a clean energy, solar generated power is less expensive, that it is beneficial for consumers,” Independent Energy Market Operators of the Philippines Vice President for Marketing Engr Isidro Cacho told regional media in a forum.

While Bohol now keeps nearly a hundred megawatts of clean power, what happens with it?

“As the world moves towards the utilization of cleaner energy for environmental sustainability over energy produced from fossil fuel, the Philippine Energy Development Plan mandates that the country would slowly depart from fossil fuel by introducing the green energy, in its power distribution blend,” according to IEMOP president and chief operations officer Atty Richard Nethercot.

“The country’s development plan intends to increase the fuel blend of traditional sources with renewable energy by 2030 from 22 % now to 35%,” he added.

According to Engr Isidro Cacho, vice president for trading operations of the Independent Electricity Operators of the Philippines (IEMOP), the Philippines is now currently blending 22 percent of power sourced out from green energies.

At the Power Outlook: More Transformations in the Energy Market in Ilo-ilo, he added that” the Philippines would have a bigger chance of increasing to 35% of green energy in its distribution blend in 2030. “

With Bohol now an assertive producer of green energy, mush of these is contracted to supply distribution companies, a local ordinance on renewable energy mandates that Bohol, having produced such clean energy gets the priority for the utilization of such green energy.

By this, the chances of getting the bigger portions of the cheaper, cleaner and more environment friendly solar generated power in its mix of power distributed to homes much faster, is another premium that Boholanos can get in its resilient energy development under another Aumentado term. (rachiu/PIA-7/Bohol)

GOING FOR 35%. The country now has 22% renewable energy blended in the power households consume, according to Engr. Isidro Cacho, IEMOP VP for trading Operations, during the Power Outlook: More Transformations Bohol is contributing largely to the bringing down of the power costs with its supply of cheap clean, alternative renewable energy, sa the country aspires to bring to 35% its renewable energy blend by 2030. (PIABohol)

WESM EXPLAINED. Independent Electricity Market Operators of the Philippines which runs the WESM says they offer power distributors an option other than full contracts which may force them to pay unexpended electricity based on the contract. (PIABohol)