• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has expressed support for granting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emergency powers to accelerate measures addressing the worsening power crisis in the Visayas.
Lacson’s position came after a joint House hearing in Bacolod City on Oct. 3, where lawmakers and energy officials examined recurring power outages, generation shortfalls, grid alerts and delays in energy infrastructure projects.
The Department of Energy also backed the proposal of Deputy Speaker and Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez of granting emergency powers to the President.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin told lawmakers that emergency powers could help hasten the construction of generation facilities and transmission lines by cutting through regulatory, permitting and right-of-way delays.
Benitez subsequently backed the proposal and called for Congress to act on it.
Lacson said that while Negros Occidental continues to attract renewable energy investments, yet consumers remain vulnerable to power interruptions because generation capacity, storage and grid infrastructure have not kept pace with demand.
He noted the continuing development of renewable projects, including a major wind project in Bago City and interest from solar investors.
The governor, however, stressed that solar generation alone cannot guarantee uninterrupted electricity, particularly because of its intermittent nature and the absence of sufficient storage and grid support facilities. | GPB
