90% of Central Negros brownouts caused by tree branches

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Negros Electric and Power Corp (Negros Power) is continuously clearing power lines of tree branches that are causing unexpected power interruptions in Central Negros.

In a statement on Tuesday, Negros Power reported that 90 percent of the brownouts in Central Negros are caused by tree branches touching power lines.

The company stated that during their latest inspection and survey of power lines, nearly 2,000 instances of vegetation interference were identified by line teams.

“Tree branches touching power lines may result in the disconnection of feeder breakers as a protective measure for the entire distribution system,” Negros Power explained.

Negros Power further noted that “when this happens, line teams manually search for the location where the branch is touching the power line, which can take hours due to the length of the feeder lines.”

These branches are immediately trimmed before reconnecting the feeder breaker to ensure that contact with the line does not recur. However, this is only a temporary solution, the company added.

“The transition from Ceneco to Negros Power began on August 1 in preparation for the upcoming takeover next month,” the statement continued.

When Negros Power formally takes over, they plan to install automatic circuit reclosers on all 43 feeder lines, replace the current lines with new insulated cables, install load break switches, and sectionalize cut-outs to provide a permanent solution to vegetation issues and prevent prolonged and frequent brownouts.

Negros Power emphasized that sufficient time is needed to accomplish these tasks and requested the understanding and cooperation of consumers.

Jonathan Cabrera, Negros Power spokesperson, said they are just waiting for the issuance of the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to officially take over from Ceneco.

While awaiting the CPCN from the ERC to commence operations, Negros Power has begun demonstrating its commitment to efficient and immediate responses to power supply incidents.

Earlier, Negros Power President and Chief Executive Officer Roel Castro reiterated that NEPC is 100 percent ready to take over as all systems are in place. Once the CPCN is acquired, NEPC will officially start its operations.