Coop expects lower charges from power supplier seen next month

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ceneco) floated a possible reduction in its power generation charge next month, particularly from one of its suppliers, Palm Concepcion Power Corp (PCPC).

But Atty. Vic Alvaro, Ceneco general manager said the exact reduction remains uncertain until Ceneco receives the official billing from PCPC.

“The efforts of Ceneco management along with other electric cooperatives in Region VI have come into fruition with this development,” Alvaro said in a press statement Monday.

Aside from the constant communication with the power supplier, Ceneco participants to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Caravan held last Nov 22, 2022 in Iloilo City requested the ERC to review the fuel cost formula used in the contract implementation, he added.

Alvaro also said that the same fuel cost formula issue was also taken up during the Committee on Energy hearing last Dec 5, 2022 at the House of Representatives through Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya upon the initiative of Ceneco.

For the months of September and December 2022, PCPC has already extended fuel discounts amounting to P27.7 million and P22.6 million, respectively.

These resulted in the reduction in generation charges billed to the consumers.

Ceneco reiterated that the generation charge is a pass-through cost from the power suppliers, and Ceneco is not allowed to make a profit from it.

Ceneco continues to hope for additional reduction in generation rates coming from coal-fired power suppliers once ERC is done with its review, Alvaro said.