DPJ urges Kalinga LGU to invest in hydropower to help cut energy bills

Tabuk City, Kalinga – As means of resolving Kalinga’s soaring energy bills, a consultant urged the provincial government to invest in hydropower and other renewable resources.

Engr. Daniel C. Peckley Jr. (DPJ), the General Manager of Bulanao Hydroelectric Power Plant (BHEPP) which supplies 11% of Kalinga Electric Cooperative’s demand, reiterated the advantages of hydropower during the second energy summit held Tuesday, September 20, at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Hall.

DPJ, during the first summit on August 23, presented through a PowerPoint that the local generation charge is cheaper than that of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) by P6.92 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (in their July monthly bill).

Compared to the power sources from outside the province, the BHEPP at Bacras, Bulanao, Tabuk City does not charge value-added tax (VAT) and transmission costs.

“Awan iti generation VAT na daytoy ta renewable energy ken awan met lang iti transmission charge ken transmission VAT na ta diretso nga nakakabit iti Bulanao Hydro iti linya ti KAELCO,” DPJ explained in a social media post.

“Nalawag, ti mabalin nga pagtipidan tayo iti kuryente ditoy Kalinga ket nu adda pay kuma maaramid nga hydropower plants ditoy probinsya tayo,” he underscored.

According to DPJ, hydropower could be in private-public partnership. The government, he suggested, could ‘facilitate the access by constructing roads going to the hydropower plant and facilitate consultation on free and prior informed consent or FPIC, in cooperation with the NCIP (National Commission on Indigenous Peoples).’

“Agaramid tayo pay ti hydropower plants, ipalubos tayo maaramid jay proposed geothermal power plant, and ken ag install tayo iti solar panels, if possible with energy storage/batteries. Around 3 pesos per kWh to 6 pesos per kWh ti matipid iti daytoy a solusyon,” added DPJ in a separate media post.

The local government of Kalinga expressed its support for the recommendation but will meantime seek “shortcut” solutions to urgently address the consumers’ long plea.

Another summit will be conducted sometime in October for the finalization of inputs solicited from various concerned stakeholders.

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