SOCOTECO-I goes GREEN
It is almost a decade since Mindanao has been struggling to survive the ever dwindling power crises in the Island. Records would show that they had been evidently brought upon by serious and notable changes in today’s physical environment. This phenomenon is what we commonly call “CLIMATE CHANGE“.
Climate Change as the name suggests, manifests significant changes to the natural physical factors of the environment (e.g. temperature, pressure and etc.), mostly due to human activities. And as deadly as it could, the consequential result ranges up to deteriorating the power generation capacities of Mindanao.
One could just imagine the kind of deforestation and diggings happening in Mindanao upland today that had pushed the ground temperatures to higher levels attractive to climate change typhoons. Irresponsible mining is done in tandem with deforestation, destruction of the watersheds, river streams and waterfalls. Thus, the impairment of the sources of power of hydroelectric power plants explain the current energy crisis in Mindanao. Let us be reminded that these hydroelectric plants supply a total of 57% of the energy requirement of the whole of Mindanao and its reliability is dependent on the integrity of the upland ecology. The reduced capacity output of the hydroelectric power plants created a domino-effect to Power Distribution Utilities up to the end users. However, SOCOTECO-I was not drowned to power crises as it was able to make a good and correct power demand forecast and better plan implementation as its preventive action.
In this era when DUs make their ways in surviving and enduring against the effects of power crises, SOCOTECO-I has always been determined to overshadow the crises by consistently finding possible measures and consequently carrying them out efficiently. Historically, investments worldwide in power generation are justified through proven economic gains with minimal consideration or complete disregard upon the environment. Today, the level of awareness on key issues of climate change has risen. At this point, SOCOTECO-I goes GREEN!
YES. Believing in the capacity of Renewable Energy (RE) in minimizing/reducing the effects of climate change, if not to totally exterminate it, SOCOTECO-I had entered into a Renewable Energy Service Agreement (RESA) with nv vogt Philippines Solar Energy One, Inc. (SE1) to put up a 5-Megawatt Solar Power Plant in Brgy. Centralla, Surallah, South Cotabato. And now, after couple of years of going through the “a little rocky” developmental stage, the plant has now come to its final stage, “the commissioning”. The 7-kilometer transmission line from the solar power plant to the Cooperative’s Substation in Brgy. Dajay is now completely connected, therefore, ready to commence dispatch/export power anytime.
With this environment friendly move engaged in by SOCOTECO-I, it became one among the most well-known Cooperatives in the Country for having been taking its chances in this kind of projects, the largest in Mindanao and so far the only project granted with RESA by the Department of Energy (DOE). This contract mandates the parties involved to use the Feed-in-Tariff rate. Over the term of the RESA, SOCOTECO-I guarantees to provide cheaper power rates to its member-consumers as adding RE to the energy mix of the Cooperative will add less than two centavos to the electricity bill, according to DOE’s computations. Thus for a household with a monthly consumption of 300 kilowatts per hour (kWh), this will mean an additional monthly cost of PhP 5.40 or .018 per kWh.
Another concept materialized by SOCOTECO-I in line with RE projects, is developing a Hydro Power Plant Project in Takbo River, Sitio Takbo, Brgy. Lamfugon, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. This project is made possible with a joint venture agreement with Next Power Consortium and is now in its Pre-Development Stage where works are on going such as Hydrological/Flood Study, Topographic Survey, Geological Study and the like, all in compliance to DOE’s requirements.
The SOCOTECO-I Board and Management expects that its decision to shift to a more sustainable, reliable and affordable energy through this RE project, it shall also hopefully boost the economic development in the Region other than the benefits it shall provide to the environment. In addition, the solar infrastructure will become a tourist destination and pride of South Cotabato province.
SOCOTECO-I still categorized as GREEN EC
In the recently concluded NEAEC Milestones and Recognitions Ceremony held in PICC, CCP Complex, Metro Manila on December 2, 2015, SOCOTECO-I is once again ranked as one among the top performing ECs in the Country, categorized as GREENCOLOR CODED Electric Cooperative for the performance year 2014. It is then my honour to report it back to you the highlights of the Cooperative’s operations why it is still rated this way. With this recognition, it meant that the performance of the Cooperative is rated Triple A (AAA) with a perfect score of 100 using the Key Performance Standards (KPS) of the National Electrification Administration, the governing body for ECs. With this, SOCOTECO-I is a recipient of Two (2) awards. One (1) major award for the EC Classification of Triple A and One (1) special award for the Coop’s accomplishment on Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) implementation having completed the construction of lines and energization of Thirty-Nine (39) sitios and puroks under its coverage area for the year 2014 alone and more to come on the following years.
Having all these significant accomplishments, it is my challenge to everyone to stand as witnesses as SOCOTECO-I continues to rise into more than what it is now. Years from now, when the Cooperative shall turn 50 years old, there would be more reasons to celebrate the Golden Foundation Anniversary. Continuous power supply, for one, shall be as promising as ever. Come to think of it, in so many times, it is only SOCOTECO-I who had experienced NO POWER INTERRUPTIONS while other ECs implements otherwise whenever the grid runs low with power supply.
Further, the Coop is now on process in preparing for the creation of SOCOTECO-I’s Foundation. It is the Board and Management’s view that having a corporate foundation shall provide social benefits to member-consumers far exceeding those that are currently provided by the Coop as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
This coming year, SOCOTECO-I is also about to launch the eventual automation of all of its business processes to further improve customer service. This strategy shall use to automate processes in order to contain costs. It consists of integrating applications, restructuring labor resources and using software applications throughout the organization.
It is my trust and confidence that SOCOTECO-I shall continue to emerge TRIUMPHANT, PHILANTROPHIC and an ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY Cooperative, in everything that it continues to do in order to uphold consumer’s SATISFACTION and DELIGHT. Kasanag SOCOTECO-I.