“It’s taking too long,” said Dela Cruz, Covenant-Saipan.
He said last month, CUC Executive Director Antonio Muna assured lawmakers that the renewable energy regulation will be drafted by April or May this year.
Dela Cruz supported the installation of the new wind turbine at Saipan Southern High School, but asked why the government allowed it without a regulation in place.
To assist the ailing power plants of CUC, the government should resort to renewable energy sources, he said.
CUC’s deputy director for electrical system, Wallon Young, said geothermal energy is more “promising” for the CNMI.
Solar power, he added, is also an alternative but wind power may not be enough to efficiently operate a wind mind.
Lawmakers recently met with CUC officials regarding the progress of the rehabilitation effort at Power Plant 1 and the current power rate.
Dela Cruz said the CUC power rate is higher compared to Guam’s because the CNMI has no fuel farm.
Guam is using heavy diesel fuel whose price is 40 percent lower than the number two diesel fuel CUC is using, he added.
Another factor in the rate differences is that Guam operates a management performance contract to keep its power utility firm constantly evaluated and checked while CUC has to rely on its own mechanics and engineers, Young said.
