ILOILO CITY – MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power), the sole electric distributor in this city, welcomed the energization of the Cebu-Negros-Panay 230-kilovolt (kV) backbone project of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.
THE substation of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) in Barotac Viejo town, Iloilo province. (MORE Power)
"This marks significant relief for us at MORE Power and Panay Island. We commend the NGCP for this landmark accomplishment of the new Cebu-Negros-Panay grid," said MORE Power Chief Executive Officer and President Roel Castro.
Castro attended the April 8 simultaneous energization ceremony at the NGCP substation in Barotac Viejo town, Iloilo province.
The energization of the NGCP project was seen to reduce massive power blackouts in Panay Island, including the regional capital Iloilo City.
A massive blackout occurred after the New Year and lasted for four days. A similar incident also occurred in April 2023.
"While that does not yet promise the ultimate level of reliability, there is undoubtedly a significant stride towards improved reliability on Panay Island. For consumers, if before NGCP energized this new project, there was a 50 percent chance of experiencing another four-day blackout, now the probability is only 10 to 20 percent,” said Castro.
The NGCP energization was also timely as the extreme heat is raising the demand for power distribution utilities.