President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday led the ceremonial energization of the Cebu-Negros-Panay sub-grids that is aimed at addressing the power supply problems that have plagued the island region.
President Marcos also encouraged energy stakeholders and private generators to invest in the Negros and Panay energy infrastructure to meet the region’s long term-term power demands as well as boost development.
“While the CNP is a major step forward, I implore all stakeholders in the Visayas to strategically identify suitable locations and host new baseload generation plants, as well as renewable energy and energy storage systems. This will bolster energy sufficiency and sustainability in Negros and Panay Islands,” President Marcos said during the Ceremonial Energization of the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) 230-kV Backbone Project in Bacolod City.
“I encourage private generators to invest in the Negros and Panay sub-grids so that the region can meet its energy demands and ensure self-sufficiency in the long run,” he said.
Marcos said the collaboration of government agencies, local government units, and private landowners will prove crucial in this endeavor, particularly in expediting permit issuance for energy projects and facilitating the acquisition of the right-of-way for transmission lines and distribution systems.
He said the completion of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) project is a milestone in the country’s pursuit to enhance the energy resilience and reliability, as it resolves the power supply challenges that have plagued the Negros and Panay sub-grids, which have caused serious regional economic setbacks.
According to the President, the CNP will also address the surging energy demands in the area and propel the socio-economic advancement of Western and Central Visayas considering its about 16 million population.
“The contribution of the two regions to our economy was a robust 2.24 trillion pesos in 2022,” Marcos said. “As their population and economy expand, their power supply must too,” the President said, saying no region can be an economic powerhouse without reliable power supply.
Aside from leading the ceremonial energization of the Backbone Project at the Bacolod Substation, the President also conducted an aerial inspection of the Bacolod-Gahit Transmission Line and site inspection of the Bacolod Substation.
The P67.9 billion CNP 230-kV Backbone Project, composed of CNP1, CNP2, CNP3 and Negros-Panay Interconnection Project Line 2 (NPIP L2), is intended to strengthen the grid and improve the reliability of power transmission in the islands of Cebu, Negros and Panay.
The project will allow the increased transfer capacity among Cebu, Negros, and Panay islands and the dispatch of excess capacities from Mindanao to meet the demand in the Visayas grid. It will also accommodate the development of new power plants in the Visayas grid.
The project involves the construction of a high-voltage transmission line and associated substations to connect the islands of Cebu, Negros, and Panay.
The NGCP, the country’s sole transmission service provider, is a fully private corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grids. It is responsible for ensuring reliable and efficient electric power from generation to distribution utilities and grid connected loads. PND
