THE electricity cost is expected to increase by March next year as the Malampaya gas plant will undergo maintenance activities.
In a statement, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi ordered the industry stakeholders to start preparatory activities to safeguard energy consumers from possible impact on supply and prices of electricity during Malampaya's maintenance activities from January 28 to February 16 next year.
“My directive was clear - the Malampaya maintenance activities should pose no substantial impact to supply of electricity by using all available resources and remedies, because power is a basic necessity for our countrymen,” he said.
He added that plans and alternative modes should be in place and ready before the actual shutdown.
The Department of Energy said that under the price simulation submitted by Manila Electric Company (Meralco), it projects an increase of around P1 per kilowatt hour on the generation cost rate that will be billed for the period which will be felt by their captive customers by March 2017 billing period.
“There will be an increase, but what we will do is to minimize the increase to soften the burden to our consuming public,” Cusi said.
To ensure power reserves during summer period, he said the 600 megawatt block of Ilijan Natural Gas Power Plant in Batangas will coincide with its maintenance shutdown to cost-efficiently use the Malampaya down time period. (SDR/Sunnex)