A lineman works on an electric post at the Katuparan housing project in Vitas, Tondo Manila on July 7, 2021. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News

Tangled cables

Alvin Elchico

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173262004938620241126101152_947a22c7afa4fb312e179d368694ad2f627ff1ceb0a1d15a3c0645c411d7a993.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A lineman works on an electric post at the Katuparan housing project in Vitas, Tondo Manila on July 7, 2021. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner">A lineman works on an electric post at the Katuparan housing project in Vitas, Tondo Manila on July 7, 2021. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA - Meralco is looking to put its power cables underground in the next five years to avoid worsening urban blight in its franchise area.</p><p>During a Senate hearing on its legislative franchise, Meralco Chief Operating Officer Ronnie Aperocho said the utility is planning to bring down and put the cables underground.</p><p>&quot;Sa budget namin for 5 years, kasama na po sa malaking capex [capital expenditure] para ho sa pagpapababa ng linya namin from overhead to underground. Di lang ho ito para ma-address ang spaghetti wires kundi para rin ho sa storm-hardening at storm resiliency,&quot; said Aperocho.</p><p>(Our 5-year budget includes capex for bringing out lines from overhead to underground. This is meant not just to address the issue of &#x27;spaghetti wires&#x27; but also for storm hardening and storm resiliency.)</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xfmru85as14?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>However, the plan needs the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission as it entails a huge capital outlay which is recoverable from consumers. ERC Chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta meanwhile said big-ticket items like this need to be studied if they are reasonable.</p><div><strong>SYSTEM LOSS CHARGED TO CONSUMERS<br/></strong></div><p>Senator Raffy Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services, has also brought up the issue of charging consumers with a portion of the system loss--particularly electricity stolen by consumers using jumpers.</p><p>Tulfo said he filed a bill to amend the EPIRA law in order to remove the authority to charge a portion of the stolen power to all regularly paying consumers.</p><p>Meralco said its system loss is low but admitted that there are still illegal connections. The company said it has already caught around 600,000 violators since 2005, and accumulated a total of 8,300 tons or 276,000 km of illegal wires, heavier than 2,600 SUVs.</p><p>Meralco says it is already running out of storage area.</p><div><strong>ERC PENALIZES NGCP<br/></strong></div><p>Meanwhile, the ERC has penalized the National Grid Corporation P12.3 million for delays in 27 of its projects.</p><p>This follows an earlier ERC ruling also penalizing NGCP more than P3 million for a separate delay in the implementation of 10 projects.</p><p>Dimalanta said while the penalty is indeed small, it&#x27;s the principle that the government can make sure that projects of national significance are not delayed.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jyNnU7gQbEU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

No more spaghetti wiring? Meralco eyes underground cabling | ABS-CBN

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No more spaghetti wiring? Meralco eyes underground cabling

No more spaghetti wiring? Meralco eyes underground cabling

Alvin Elchico,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 26, 2024 07:22 PM PHT

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