ERC Renews COC of Bubunawan Power Co.
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ERC Chairperson Zenaida G. Cruz-Ducut (center) congratulates Mr. Jose Ma. Abaya, Compliance Officer of BPC, during the awarding of the renewed COC together with Commissioners Alejandro Z. Barin (left), Maria Teresa A. R. Castañeda (second from left), and Jose C. Reyes (rightmost). |
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) renewed the Certificate of Compliance (COC) of Bubunawan Power Co., Inc. (BPC) on 25 January 2010 after an evaluation revealed its continuing compliance with the requirements for the renewal of COC. The COC involves BPC’s 7.00 MW Hydroelectric Power (HP) Plant and its blackstart 91 kW generating set that are located in two (2) barangays (Brgy. Imbatug and Brgy. Kiliog) and two (2) municipalities (Baungon and Libona) in Bukidnon province.
The ERC granted BPC its first COC in December 2004. The HP project is being undertaken primarily by Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co., Inc. (CEPALCO), a privately-owned distribution utility in Northern Mindanao and its partner is Cumming Cockburn Limited (CCL), a consulting engineering firm based in Canada. The project was funded by Preferred Energy, Inc. (PEI) under the USAID-Winrock International Renewable Energy Financing and Technical Assistance Project. PEI provided the equity financing to the project to catalyze private sector investment in renewable energy. BPC was incorporated in 1996 as a joint venture among CEPALCO, CCL, and PEI.
BPC hydropower plant’s usage of an indigenous and renewable energy resource is greatly helping lessen the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuel and accounts for a substantial displacement of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Hydro-electric power is also a lot cheaper than oil, diesel, natural gas, and coal-sourced electricity. As a distributed generation facility, the hydropower plant ensures system reliability and improved voltage at the end of the line.
“IPPs, such as the BPC, are indispensable components of the electric power industry as they provide stability to the supply of electricity. The ERC ascertains that they remain compliant to environmental, technical, financial, and reportorial requirements,” ERC Officer-in-Charge Alejandro Z. Barin said.
January 27, 2010