Power plant operating sans ERC approval – consumers
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – The five-megawatt (MW) diesel-fired power plant in Brgy. Mabilo, New Washington, Aklan owned Global Business Power Corp. (formerly Mirant Global) is commercially operating without the required Certificate of Compliance from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), claimed a consumers’ group.
With this, ERC should issue a cease and desist order against the corporation and impose the highest penalty warranted by law, stressed Genaro Mabasa, president of the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (Nasecore) Aklan chapter. He wrote ERC Chairman Rodolfo Albano Jr.
Mabasa further claimed that the application for a certificate of compliance filed by Avon River Power Holdings Corp. -- a subsidiary of Mirant Philippines -- was subsequently sold to First Metro Investment Corp., which later formed Global Business Power Corp.
The power plant in Brgy. Mabilo supplies electricity to the Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco) and is the subject of ERC Case No. 2005-013 RC.
“This is a clear and blatant violation of Section 6 of Republic Act 9136 otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2002,” Mabasa said.
The law states that “upon the effectivity of this Act, any new generation company shall, before it operates, secure from the ERC a certificate of compliance pursuant to the standards set forth in this Act, as well as health, safety and environmental clearances from the appropriate government agencies under existing laws.”
Mabasa added that the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) governing the Multi-partite Monitoring Team -- which will stipulate the amount that the proponent needs to put into the Environmental Guarantee Fund -- has not been established.
“These acts constitute defiance of existing laws and regulations of the Republic of the Philippines and shall not remain unpunished. The ERC should act with dispatch as the plant’s continued operations will not only cause further damage to the environment but also create health problems of nightmarish proportions to the residents of the community,” Mabasa pointed out.
Earlier, Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) member Franklin Quimpo supported the petition of 133 residents of Sitio Eo-ok, Mabilo, New Washington, citing the ill effects of the plants toxic fumes and noise that has caused health and environmental concerns to the community when the power plant operated.
“I strongly support the sentiments of 133 residents of this particular sitio. So far, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has not taken any step or action to stop the operation of this plant despite public knowledge of its operation,” Quimpo said.