“CUC won’t be able to let go of the generating capacity of Power Plant 4,” Dela Cruz stated. “That’s the predicament that we face right now in the commonwealth.”
With the frequent power outages that the islands are having due to recurrent engine break downs, it would be “worse” for CUC to cut off its ties with the Puerto Rico-based power plant, stated Dela Cruz, Covenant-Saipan and a member of the House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications.
For CUC to suspend its contract with the power plant will “only exacerbate the situation,” he said, adding that it will be worse for the commonwealth to keep Power Plant 4 offline at this time when CUC needs power generation capacity.
Power Plant 4 is a private power firm managed by the Pacific Marine and Industrial Corp.
Variety earlier reported that CUC was providing $2 million for fuel every month to Power Plant 4, which is said to consume large amount of fuel with its high-speed generators.
Dela Cruz said in a previous interview that CUC stands to save about $1.7 million every month if the agency would end its contract with the plant.
CUC was supposed to cancel its contract with Power Plant 4 by the end of May with the expected completion of rehabilitation of two of its engines at Power Plant 1.
CUC was expecting to acquire 15 megawatts of additional power output by late May or early June if the repairs on its two engines are finished.
