Power grid operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines reiterated its plea for the Department of Environment & Natural Resources to issue a blanket authority and special permit to prune/trim or cut intentionally and maliciously planted trees along transmission line corridors.
The blanket authority, if issued, will support and help expedite NGCP’s efforts in clearing deliberately planted trees underneath transmission lines which cause line outages and power interruptions, NGCP said in media release late Tuesday.
To date, the DENR already issued Tree Cutting Permit No. R10-TCP-14-07-10122016 authorizing the cutting of trees along the Agus 2- Baloi 138kV line, traversing the municipalities of Pantar and Balo-I, Lanao del Norte. However, this covers only one out of eight lines in Mindanao identified as critical because of ROW issues.
The seven other lines identified as critical are: Agus 2 — Kibawe 138kV Lines, Agus 1 — Agus 2 138kV Line, Baloi — Agus 6 138kV Lines, Baloi — Agus 6 69kV Line, Baloi — Tagoloan 138kV Lines, Baloi — IDPP 138kV Line, and Baloi —Aurora 138kV Lines.
Permits are likewise needed for the 83 transmission lines in 79 municipalities throughout the country that remain vulnerable to transmission related power interruptions. Uncooperative land claimants refuse our line personnel access to the properties for the conduct of clearing and maintenance activities.
“Any and all forms of government support to address violations of line safety clearances, particularly maliciously planted trees, will facilitate the efficient delivery of power transmission services to our customers in Mindanao and the rest of the country,” stated NGCP in its news release.
To prevent longer power interruptions, NGCP continues to appeal to the local community and its leaders to help identify the perpetrators of tower bombings, and to negotiate with uncooperative claimants who deliberately and maliciously plant trees underneath transmission lines.
NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid. It transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations, and related assets. The consortium, which holds the 25-year concession contract to operate the country’s power transmission network, is comprised of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp. led by Henry Sy, Jr., Calaca High Power Corp. led by Robert Coyiuto Jr., and the State Grid Corp. of China as technical partner. (PNA)
