CLEARING OPERATION. Personnel of Negros Electric and Power Corp.'s accredited contractor remove the tree branches growing in areas with power lines in this photo taken last weekend. “One of the priorities of Negros Power is the clearing of vegetation which is one of the causes of brownouts,” it said in a statement on Tuesday (Aug. 13, 2024). (Photo courtesy of Negros Electric and Power Corp.)
BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC/Negros Power) has begun removing vegetation, including tree branches, identified as the causes of many unscheduled brownouts in this city and the neighboring localities.
Negros Power is set to formally take over the operations of its joint venture partner, Central Negros Electric Cooperative, next month.
According to its data on Tuesday, 90 percent of the power interruptions in the franchise area are caused by tree branches touching power lines.
“This may result in the disconnection of feeder breakers as protection for the entire distribution system. 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. These branches are immediately trimmed before reconnecting the feeder breaker to ensure that contact with the line does not happen again,” Negros Power said in a statement.
Based on the latest inspection and survey, almost 2,000 kinds of vegetation were found along the areas with power lines.
“One of the priorities of Negros Power is the clearing of vegetation which is one of the causes of brownouts,” it added.
Negros Power, however, said the clearing and trimming of tree branches is only a temporary solution since when it formally takes over the power supply distribution, it will install automatic circuit reclosers on all 43 feeder lines, which will be replaced with new insulated cables.
It will also “install load brake switches and sectionalize cut-outs to provide a permanent solution to vegetation issues and avoid prolonged and frequent brownouts.”
“Negros Power needs sufficient time to accomplish all of these and is asking for the understanding and cooperation of consumers,” it further said.
With an initial capital of PHP2 billion, Negros Power will implement a five-year plan to rehabilitate and modernize the electric infrastructure in its franchise area, which includes the cities of Bacolod, Silay, Talisay, and Bago, and Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto towns. (PNA)
