SURIGAO CITY – At least 23 electric cooperatives in Mindanao are vigorously looking for means to avert power crisis in the future by recommending the construction of a 300-megawatt (mW) power plant to address the problem.

The 23-member Association of Mindanao Electric Cooperatives (Ameco) made the recommendation to the Department of Energy (DoE) to support the current Mindanao grid and to avert future incidence of power crisis.

This recommendation is part of Ameco’s 2013-2016 power development plan in Mindanao.

“Aside from future power crisis, this idea also came out to support the fast-growing growth in the island as more big companies and future investments are coming in,” said a top official and electric cooperative manager in the region.

“If this plan will succeed, it will revolutionalize power industry in Mindanao and looming power oligopoly will be cut-off,” said the official by not elaborating further.

These 23 power cooperatives have already started clustering procedure in preparation for the distribution of the recommended 300-mW.

The construction of the additional 300-mW will cost at least $2.5 million per mW, the coop official said.

Currently, the Mindanao grid has a current capacity of 1,237-mW. However, 200-mW was already bought by the Aboitiz group.

In a related development, a two-day business investment forum is set in Northern Mindanao to focus on the power situation and its effect in agri-business in the second largest island in the Philippines.

The Mindanao Investment Forum and Mindanao Business Conference, which is being hosted by the Oro Chamber, will run from September 17 to 18 at the Grand Caprice Restaurant at the Limketkai Center, Cagayan de Oro City.

The conference is organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), with support from the Cagayan de Oro City government, USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), and other partners.

Mindanao-wide projects in the energy sector will be among the investment proposals during that big gathering.

President Aquino is invited in the business forum to present his power and business agenda for Mindanao, it was gathered.