TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines – The National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (NASECORE) Inc. has petitioned the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to dismiss outright the instant application by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for its proposed Leyte-Mindanao Interconnection Project (LMIP).

This came as members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Leyte and the public in attendance during the recently concluded “public consultation” here expressed their discontentment with explanations given by NGCP representatives on said proposal.

NASECORE President Pete Ilagan, who was in the public consultation, said local consumers cannot shoulder the cost of the feasibility study. At the same time, the local chief executives in attendance also voiced their opposition to the project, saying they could already see additional costs resulting from said interconnection project that would be passed on to consumers.

The proposed LMIP involves installation of a 250-kilovolt high-voltage density cable bipolar link with a total transfer capacity of 500 megawatts (MW), a 455-kilometer long overhead line and 23 km submarine cable. The interconnection is supposed to start at the Ormoc Converter Station in Leyte and end at the Kirahon Converter station in North Central Mindanao via Southern Leyte and North Eastern Mindanao.

Meanwhile, NGCP Head Office spokesperson, lawyer Cynthia Alabanza maintains that the project could be advantageous to Leyte and the Visayas Grid in terms of energy sharing. Also, the Department of Energy (DoE) believes the project could secure the country’s power supply as a long-term solution to alleviate power shortages nationwide.

Leyte 2nd district Board Member Anlie Apostol, who chairs the provincial board’s energy committee said there is still need for the public to know how the project will go about, the advantages that interconnection can give to local consumers, and where power rate increases will be charged should they be impose.

Currently, the province’s opposition to the LMIP is based on the cost of the feasibility study intended to be passed on to local consumers.

Asked Apostol, “Why should we be the ones to bear the cost of finding out whether or not the NGCP is going to profit or not on such aproject?” He said that “they (the NGCP) are the capitalist/financier, and they should spend for their study.”