The national government is expected to have $15 million (P780 million) in savings from oil imports as soon as the geothermal power plant in Bago City, Negros Occidental, operates next year, a Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corp. spokesman said yesterday.

PNOC-EDC spokesman Joey Higgins said the construction of the 40-megawatt geothermal power plant in Sitio Pata-an, Brgy. Mailum, Bago City, is 31 percent completed at this time.

The 40 megawatt plant which is also capable of lighting up 800,000 households, will supply the power needs of northern Negros, which gets the bulk of its electricity from the Palimpinon geothermal power plant in Negros Oriental, Higgins said.

The P8 billion geothermal development project, which started in 1995, has a life span of 15 to 20 years.

Other benefits derived from the construction of geothermal power plant include the giving of electrification assistance to 50 unenergized barangays in Negros Occidental under PNOC-EDC's expanded rural electrification program and the host communities will also receive royalty payments, which could enable them to lower or subsidize electricity of their constituents, Higgins said.

The PNOC-EDC will also continue to give back the bounties derived from the company's use of geothermal energy through its Balik-Biyaya program by providing host communities health, education, livelihood and environment management projects, its spokesman added.*GPB

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