Power firm encourages companies to join ILP

CEBU, Philippines - The Visayan Electric Company is calling on new businesses in Cebu to participate in its Interruptible Load Program to help stabilize power supply if in case a power shortage hits the Visayas grid.

Veco chief operating officer Sebastian Lacson said in an interview yesterday that although the 64 megawatts standby capacity is enough to act as bad-aid solution to power interruptions, the ILP will somehow cushion the impact of a power crisis.

Veco implemented the Interruptible Load Program in 2009, a scheme approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission wherein energy users with large loads – such as business establishments and factories – will be required to run their standby generator sets to ease the demand for power from the grid during peak hours.

At present, there are 25 companies who have participated in the ILP scheme. The scheme has given lawmakers, Senator Serge Ormeña for one, the idea that this is one of the possible solutions to mitigate the looming 900 MW shortfall in the Luzon grid by summer of 2015.

Lacson said the company regularly implements the scheme whenever there is a shortfall. Since 2009, the power firm has secured the commitment of up to 64 megawatts from its customers although some of them are unable to deliver when needed.

"When we need the commitments once again – with the help of local government, the chamber, and the participants – we just call on them. They are happy with the compensation that the ERC granted via two different resolutions," said Veco's Lacson.

"They're not happy in the sense that they're making money. I think this is a kind of solution where everyone loses a little bit. They're happy losing a little bit for the sake of everyone," said Lacson.

A one megawatt for instance, could already provide power requirement to 3,300 households. The reserved 64 megawatts from the ILP program, could already save at least 21,200 households combined from brown-out incidents.

Because of ILP's success, Lacson recently was invited by Osmeña to talk about the success of ILP in Cebu at the Senate hearing attended also by power distribution companies like Meralco, among others.

Lacson told the Senate committee that they were able to draw up to 4 million kilowatt hours from ILP in the two months after Yolanda hit.

Veco registered a high of 45 megawatts capacity from ILP or 11 percent of that time's total demand of 414 megawatts.

Companies that signed its commitment to ILP include among others SM City Cebu, San Miguel Corporation, Ayala Center Cebu, Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Cebu, Cebu City Marriott Hotel, Radisson Blu Hotel.  (FREEMAN)