Negros Power gears up for utility transition

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By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) is making significant strides towards becoming the new electric distribution utility for Central Negros, with a strategic delivery of essential electrical materials and supplies to their warehouses.

Negros Power announced that their suppliers are poised to deliver the initial stock of brand-new electrical supplies to their Central Negros warehouses.

“As part of our preparations, we already purchased the initial stock of brand-new electrical supplies, and our suppliers are now ready to deliver them to our Central Negros warehouses,” the utility company said.

The company is ensuring that these materials are available from the first day of their operation as part of a five-year rehabilitation and modernization plan aimed at improving the distribution network and providing efficient, reliable, and sustainable power to consumers.

Negros Power is set to take over from the existing utility, Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO), and plans to rehabilitate and upgrade the current power distribution facilities in the franchise area.

The materials to be delivered include smart meters, transformers, and poles to replace CENECO’s dilapidated infrastructure.

Roel Castro, President and Chief Executive Officer of Negros Power, emphasized the company’s dedication to providing uninterrupted power supply. “We understand the importance of an uninterrupted power supply for the economic and social development of Central Negros. Our team works diligently to ensure a smooth transition and uphold better service to consumers from the first day of our operation,” Castro said.

The transition is eagerly anticipated by residents, who have long-awaited improvements in their electricity services.

Negros Power aims to modernize facilities, enhance resilience, and optimize energy distribution to meet the evolving needs of Central Negros.

Negros Power’s legislative franchise bill has already been approved by Congress and will be forwarded to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for final approval.

Once signed, it will grant Negros Power a 25-year authority to operate as an electric distribution utility in the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Silay, and Talisay, and the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental.

The company anticipates starting operations in the third quarter of this year.