The 69-kilovolt Roxas-Taytay transmission line in Palawan has been energized by state-run National Power Corporation (NPC) to reinforce electricity services for consumers in that local off grid.

NPC President and CEO Fernando Martin Y. Roxas highlighted that “the completion of the transmission line is part of the corporation’s vision of providing reliable electricity and typhoon-resilient facilities in the provinces where it maintains and operates the transmission system.”

The installation of the 71.3 circuit-kilometer line had been awarded, via the outcome of a competitive bidding, to SL Development Construction Corporation for the first half; while the remaining segment was completed by DM Consunji, Inc.

According to the power firm, the approved budget cost for the project was at P691 million; and this was sourced from the national government’s special allotment release order in previous years.

With the newly completed facility, Roxas emphasized that the company “will not only improve power dispatch and eventually decrease systems loss, but we can also accommodate more power generators to cater to the growing electricity needs of Palawan.”

Beyond that newly commissioned transmission line, NPC indicated that its Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) business unit has also been maintaining at least 24 power plants catering to the electricity needs of end-users in the remote areas of Palawan.

And with the electricity backbone improvement in the area, Roxas noted “we are sure that development doesn’t stop here as we are committed to energizing more areas, sustaining the operations of our power plants here, and optimizing the operations of our 69 kV transmission lines.”

Palawan is not just host to flourishing commercial and industrial activities, but it is also one of the country’s enthralling tourist destinations – especially for visitors opting for adventures or exciting outdoor activities like diving, zip-lining, spelunking or island-hopping.

Following the privatization of the big-ticket power assets of NPC as ushered in by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the residual function vested upon the company is to serve the electricity needs of consumers in areas that are not physically connected to the main grids.

The improvement of electricity services in off-grid jurisdictions is among the precarious concerns being addressed squarely by the current administration – given the relentless distress of power interruptions that consumers in these domains have been putting up with for several years or decades already.

Apart from Palawan, the government-owned power firm is similarly operating 281 SPUG power generating facilities with integrated transmission systems to satiate the electricity needs of Catanduanes, Marinduque, Masbate, Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro.