Ninety percent of unexpected power interruptions in central Negros is due to tree branches touching power lines.
In a statement on Tuesday (Aug. 13), the Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power) said that based on their inspection and survey, almost 2,000 vegetations have to be cleared by the power line teams.
Tree branches touching power lines may result in the disconnection of feeder breakers as protection for the entire distribution system, Negros Power said.
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, it added.
These branches are immediately trimmed before reconnecting the feeder breaker to ensure that contact with the line does not happen again, but this is only a temporary solution, Negros Power further said.
The transition from Central Negros Electric Cooperative to Negros Power started Aug. 1 in preparation for the upcoming takeover next month.
As soon the formal takeover ensues, Negros Power said, they plan to install automatic circuit reclosers on all 43 feeder lines, replace them with new insulated cables, install load brake switches, and sectionalize cut-outs to provide a permanent solution to vegetation issues to avoid prolonged and frequent brownouts.
Negros Power is seeking understanding and cooperation from its consumers as they need more time to accomplish all of this, it added. ||
