Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez highlighted the urgent need to modernize the city’s electrical infrastructure. He emphasized the importance of replacing aging transformers at high risk of failure. The mayor made this statement following the restoration of electric service by the Alijis Substation, as the city faces potential power crises due to outdated equipment. Mayor Albee talked about Negros Power’s modernization plans during a press conference.
Read: Alijis Substation Transformer Breakdown: Bacolod City Faces Major Power Disruption
Power Crisis Looms: Aging Transformers in Bacolod
Negros Electric Power Corporation (NEPC) has identified seven transformers in Bacolod City that are well past their lifespan. These transformers make up more than half of the city’s 11 substations. Years of overuse have made them prone to failure. Engr. Bailey Del Castillo, NEPC’s Chief Operations Officer, emphasized the need to replace these aging components to prevent further power outages.
Immediate and Long-Term Solutions
After a recent power outage that left 48,000 consumers without electricity, NEPC acted quickly. They deployed a 10 MegaVolt Ampere (MVA) mobile substation. This temporary fix has ended load shedding in the city, especially in the Alijis area. But the long-term solution involves installing a new 18MVA transformer by September 2. This addition will boost the total capacity to 28MVA.
Mayor Benitez’s Call for Modernization and Negros Power’s Modernization Plans
Mayor Benitez stressed the importance of Negros Power’s role in upgrading the city’s outdated infrastructure. “One of the reasons why we invited the new proponent is for them to do a modernization program to upgrade or replace our old equipment,” he said. Seven of the city’s 11 substations are over 25 years old. The need for new transformers and upgraded electrical wiring is urgent.
A 2.5 Billion Peso Investment for Bacolod’s Future
Negros Power will present its modernization plans to the City Council next week. The company is considering an investment of up to 2.5 billion pesos, with half a billion allocated for transformer replacement. Mayor Benitez noted, “They are looking at investing 2.5 billion pesos.”
Commitment to a Reliable Power Supply
NEPC aims to ensure a stable and reliable power supply for Bacolod City. The company is also implementing a redundancy plan or set up. A redundancy plan or setup in electrical distribution means having backup systems in place. Areas are connected to multiple feeders. And if the main power line for a feeder fails, the affected area can be connected to the backup. This helps prevent long power outages.
Del Castillo also assured that there will be no power rate hikes for the next three years. The company is also working to lower rates in the long term.
Mayor Albee’s Statement
“One of the reasons why we invited the new proponent is for them to do a modernization program to upgrade or replace our old equipment. There are 11 substations in the grid, of which seven are older than 25 years old. Hindi na ni ya mapuslan at a certain point. So, very imperative kinahanglan ta gid nga islan na gid ini sang bag-o and that is exactly what they intend to do”.
“They are due to present in detail sa Council next week ang mga himuon nila nga mga modernization programs to upgrade the equipments. Aside from the transformer, they are planning to change mga electrical wires because not only is it daan, it’s bound to break, overloading, dyutay lang nga init we can ma trip na ina sya. So, all of this equipment and replaceable items have to be replaced immediately. So there’s a five-year program. They can advance most of the equipment that is needed so that we will have fewer problems. They are looking at investing 2.5 billion pesos.”
