Mindanao power crisis ploy to justify coal plants – environmental groups

Mindanao power crisis ploy to justify coal plants – environmental groups

“This is all artificial.” – Dr. Jean Lindo, Kalikasan Party, No to Coal-Davao
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com

Manila – Environmental groups based in Mindanao slammed the recent blackouts in Mindanao as “deliberate acts” and are “part of a ploy of power distributors and the Aquino administration to justify the construction of more coal-fired power plants and other extractive energy projects such as Pulangi V Mega Dam.”
Dr. Jean Lindo, No to Coal– Davao convener and member of the newly-formed Kalikasan Party said the black outs in Mindanao are not real indicators of a power crisis.

“Power distributors can deliberately cause power black outs to happen by manipulating the power supply. This is not new. Every time these firms and investors want to build more coal-fired plants and dams, they mess around with the power supply and cry out that there’s a power crisis or an shortage in supply. This is all artificial,” he said.

Lindo said to verify the statement of Department of Energy (DoE) Secretary Jose Almendras that Mindanao needed 500MW of non-hydro power resources, “an independent ENERGY AUDIT is needed to disclose the genuine power situation of Mindanao.”

Various legislators and local government officials including Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino and the two lawmakers of Gabriela Women’s Party Luz Ilagan and Emmi De Jesus have said that Congress should look deeper into the real causes of Mindanao brownouts before even considering giving President Benigno Aquino III special powers. Casiño said that “‘Old, worn out solutions won’t do to solve the Mindanao power crisis.”

“Pres. Benigno Aquino III proposed emergency powers are aimed at allowing him to enter into new contracts with the independent power producers (IPPs) without going through public bidding and the usual procurement processes. This is basically a rehash of the Ramos-era solution to the power crisis, which is to pass the ball to the private sector via onerous, oppressive, sweetheart contracts,” Casino said..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/03/29/mindanao-power-crisis-ploy-to-justify-coal-plants-environmental-groups/