Gov. Benigno R. Fitial made the ceremonial switch-on for the Aggreko containerized generators last Friday at Power Plant 1, signaling the end of the rotating blackouts on Saipan that inconvenienced residents and businesses for over three years.
CUC contracted Aggreko for one year subject to further extension at $504,000 a month, excluding fuel.
Reyes said Aggreko is a very reliable company that provided electricity to the Beijing Olympics and even to U.S. military bases in Iraq.
He downplayed fears that the government is facing difficulty raising the monthly rental fee for the generators.
“Yes, we can pay Aggreko. There’s more power to sell now and fuel prices are going down,” said the press secretary.
A group of concerned citizens is planning a protest rally this Wednesday, Citizenship Day, to urge President Bush to declare the islands a disaster area so that federal funds can be used to rehabilitate the government-owned power plants.
The group is concerned that Aggreko is another “band-aid” solution to the island’s power crisis.
Reyes agreed that Aggreko generators are just here for the short-term but the administration is working on a long-term solution.
“We’re good for one year. There’s a relief for at least a year,” he told Variety.
He said there’s no more reason to protest against CUC.
