EDITORIAL - Power self-sufficiency

Cebu has been consuming more electricity to sustain its growth and, for that reason, the province is in need of more power investments considering the massive expansion of various industries and the rising population.

The problem with Cebu is that it mainly relies on neighboring provinces for power since its own production from power plants in Toledo City, Naga City, and other areas in the province only caters to a small percentage of its total demand.

Major power plants in the Visayas are located in Leyte and Cebu cannot forever depend on its neighboring islands. It has to build more power plants to produce more electricity to feed its ever-growing industries, and to see to it that it attains self-sufficiency in the years to come.

We have already learned a lesson during the aftermath of supertyphoon Yolanda when power shortage hit Cebu and other areas in the Visayas due to the limited output of power plants in Leyte which were hit by the storm.

Now, the Department of Energy is pushing for more power investments in Cebu as soaring electricity demand spawned by construction boom and business process outsourcing operations is now reaching its highest level. The department sees Compostela town and Mactan Island as potential sites for new power plants in the province.

DOE expects the power outlook in Cebu to be stable. However, Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola pointed out during the sidelines of the recent 2018 Visayas Energy Investment Forum in Cebu City that the province has to establish new projects to keep up with future demands.

As Cebu’s growth continues to soar, its demand for power also reaches an all-time high. For years, the province’s business-friendly atmosphere has seen investors rushing in to compete for space. So there’s really a need for Cebu to wake up and start aiming for power self-sufficiency. Its dependence on power from other areas has to stop.