Not for Us?

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

It was with great fanfare that the 49 megawatt Northern Negros Geothermal Power Plant in Brgy. Mailum, Bago, was switched on and commissioned by no less than the President herself last week. Most Negrenses applauded this development, assuming that this additional power capacity would be injected into the Negros grid, effectively reducing the possibility of power outages during peak hours of the seasons. Some even optimistically expected power rates to go down as part of the perks of living in an island being tapped for geothermal power, a resource that does not cost dollars to procure, and is freely available under our soil. After all, it is the steam under our land that is being used to power the turbines to generate electricity.

It therefore comes as a surprise to learn that we Negrenses will not be benefiting from this new power plant. The electricity it generates, all 49 megawatts, apparently goes straight to Panay. Given that our friendly neighbors across the Guimaras Strait may need the power more than we do, most Negrenses probably wouldn't really mind that it is our resources being exploited, as long as we don't suffer power outages that can be blamed on the under-capacity of the existing power plants currently serving our grid.

As the "rightful owners" of this God-sent resource, we deserve to be rewarded for allowing it to be mined and utilized for the benefit of the country. At the least we should be the priority consumers of the power generated by this new geothermal plant. If that is impossible due to legal impediments or bad decisions by our local power cooperatives, then we Negrenses should be given power subsidies or discounts for providing the steam that is powering this new geothermal power plant.*