Mindoro Island's connection to Luzon grid done by 2025 —DOE exec

The plan to connect Mindoro Island to the main Luzon power grid is seen to be realized in the next two years, a top official of the Department of Energy (DOE) said Wednesday.

At a press chat in Taguig City, DOE Undersecretary Rowena Guevarra said the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) committed to complete the project by 2025.

“The DOE requested them [to expedite]… They can do it. NGCP is cooperative,” Guevarra said.

In April, the DOE said it will expedite Mindoro’s connection to the main Luzon power grid as a long-term solution to power outages hounding the island. 

Occidental Mindoro was placed under a state of calamity back in April due to power outages that lasted a month and a half.

To realize the interconnection plan, Guevarra said Mindoro Island will be connected to the Luzon grid via substations and transmission lines in Batangas province.

The Energy official said about 20% of universal charge for missionary electrification (UCME) could be reduced once Mindoro Island is connected to the Luzon grid.

“Because 20% of our UCME goes to Mindoro,” Guevarra said.

Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, UCME is a fee collected from consumers, which will then be used for electrification of remote communities and off-grid areas. —KG, GMA Integrated News