The Benguet Electric Cooperative has vowed to maintain the efficiency of the power utility’s distribution lines as an energy-saving measure amid the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
Beneco Acting Manager Delmar Cariño in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act lecture for media said sustaining their distribution system prevents technical losses that include water supply.
“Technical losses emanate from inefficient power lines. If the power lines are well maintained, we do not incur losses, we don’t waste electricity and that is important at the time of the El Niño,” Cariño said.
Beneco is the sole electric distribution utility for Baguio City and Benguet.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council earlier urged the public to practice energy-saving measures, with lack of power identified as among the effects of El Niño.
El Niño is characterized by drought and high temperatures, resulting in a high rate of moisture evaporation.
Cariño assured that El Niño has no direct effect on their supply, adding their coal power plant supplier is ready to meet a rise in demand.
Hydropower source consists of 18.5 percent of the 24 percent renewable electricity production of the country. The country sources its electricity production from coal-run power plants at 47 percent, 22 percent from natural gas, and seven percent from oil.
Beneco’s demand is 90 megawatts daily, which could increase with the heat brought about by the dry spell, according to Cariño.
He urged the public to save on the use of electricity as an individual contribution to the effort to mitigate the effect of El Niño.– PNA
