Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged Aklan Electric Cooperative Inc. to invoke force majeure to avoid passing on extra power charges to consumers during the six-month closure of Boracay Island.
“The closure of restaurants, resorts and other commercial establishments on Boracay Island during the effectivity of the closure order will not only result in the loss of jobs. It will also drive down the demand for electricity in Akelco’s franchise area, as these commercial establishments account for 41 percent of the electric coop’s power demand,” said Gatchalian, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy in a statement.
He said Boracay’s power demand would drop to four megawatts during the shutdown from 28 MW, leaving a huge surplus of unconsumed electricity contracted by Akelco through power supply agreements with several generation companies.
The rest of Akelco’s customers throughout Aklan, Antique, and Capiz will have to pay an additional P1.58 per kilowatt hour in pass-on charges to compensate generation companies for unconsumed on Boracay Island.