Escalante said thepower plants to be built on reclaimed landat the Cadiz City Commercial Portarea in Barangay Banquerohan have gotten the approval of the City Sangguniang Panlungsod that has endorsed it to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for approval.

Phil-Power Exploration and Development Corp. initially intends to build a 23-megawatt diesel plant to address the peak load needs of Negros Occidental, and30-megawatt and 50-megawatt coal-fired plants, Escalante said.

If everything goes as planned, construction will be begin in December 2014 and by 2015 Negros Occidental will have 100 megawatts to help the local economy that currently has no alternative locally produced power, he said.

Escalante said construction of the power plants is needed now. “We cannot wait for Negros Occidental to be hit by power shortages in 2015 that would drive away investors,” he said.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said he also supports the building of the power plants in Negros Occidental, noting that brownoutshave been hitting the province.*CPG

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