Ilocos Norte governor Manotoc vows to reduce power rates

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte—Reelected Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc vowed to decrease electricity rates in his province as his mother Senator Imee Marcos swore him in for a second term of office on Monday, June 27.

Manotoc, who fended off veteran politician Rodolfo “Rudy” Fariñas’s comeback attempt, pledged to “work tirelessly” with the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) to lower power rates in the province, which he called the renewable energy (RE) capital of the Philippines.

The governor said he would “make sure our people feel the benefits of our energy surplus.”

But the local electric cooperative already said in May that as a distribution utility, it could not source out supply from RE companies.

Ilocos Norte hosts a number of renewable energy (RE) companies with wind farms situated in Burgos, Bangui, and Pagudpud towns. The province also hosts an expanding solar farm in Currimao town. 

According to the provincial government, the total wind potential capacity in the province was 719 megawatts while for solar energy, 312.5 megawatts.

INEC said that under the country’s procurement law, the local co-op has no “direct contract” with the RE energy firms for the supply of electricity. 

The local co-op’s supply requirements have to undergo bidding as provided by the law, it said.

The local co-op said that it was purchasing its supply from the Masinloc Power Partner Co. Ltd, Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, and its mini-hydropower plant in Pagudpud town.

This June, the total unbundled residential rate for electric charges was computed at P14.30 per kilowatt-hour, exclusive of value-added tax, compared to the P14.18 in May, according to an earlier advisory released by INEC.

Generation charge, which comprised 71.89% of a consumer’s total electric bill, was at P10.28 in June, the INEC said. Last month’s GC was at P10.19. – Rappler.com