The airport’s two backup generators have broken down, and Reyes said this situation “further illustrates the CNMI’s urgent need for reliable power generation capacity” for the Commonwealth Ports Authority and the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.
CPA is asking CUC not to include the airport area in the power outage schedule.
“As the situation stands today, both CUC and CPA lack adequate power generation capabilities,” Reyes said. “CPA’s generators are not reliable and CUC’s power generation capability is also unreliable. Therefore, the situation is yet another powerful argument for the administration’s push to secure adequate power generation capacity from Aggreko.”
Under a $6 million contract, Aggreko will provide CUC with temporary power.
Reyes said CUC has to get the funds to pay Aggreko to end the power outages on Saipan.
Aggreko’s power generation equipment is portable and does not require a huge concrete foundation, he added.
“Aggreko is the best legal alternative based on the [responses to the request for proposals],” he said.
Tinian’s power provider, Telesource, he added, did not submit a bid and its equipment may not be as “convenient” as Aggreko’s.
Agggreko supplies generators to the U.S. military and the Beijing Olympics and uses container-sized generators that could be used at the airport and CUC’s plants, Reyes said.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial took over the administration of CPA in May, citing the failure of its board and management to address concerns about its bonds.
Reyes said the airport’s power problems show “CPA’s real state of emergency.”
“It legitimately justifies the governor’s [emergency] declaration,” he added. “This is a real emergency that fully justifies the governor’s [executive order] and actions with respect to CPA.”
