Sens. Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr, Paul W. Ueki, Senator Raynold B. Oilouch, Surangel Whipps, Jr. were the author of Senate Bill 8-123 which also calls on PPUC to maintain constant voltage levels throughout its electrical grid, and for other related purposes.
The bill stated that electrical service will often be interrupted throughout the Koror-Babeldaob grid, which will inconvenience consumers and harm electrical circuits and appliances.
The measure added that the power outages also disrupt businesses throughout Palau, which has a negative impact on Palau’s economy as a whole.
On top of the problem in the interruption, the measure cited that both residential and commercial consumers throughout Babeldaob constantly deal with a low voltage of electricity delivered to their homes and places of business. This low-voltage electricity can be insufficient to power appliances, and runs the risk of doing harm to electrical circuitry.
“Given the cost of electricity throughout Palau, those who pay for it should expect it to be delivered at a voltage that is safe and sufficient for reasonable use,” the measure stated.
PPUC is proposed to establish an emergency response and utility maintenance team. This team also will have the following responsibilities; establish a response plan for quickly addressing and resolving any, disruption in the generation, transmission, or delivery of electricity throughout P.U.C.’s electrical grid in Koror and Babeldaob, and respond to any electrical outages pursuant to that plan.
Under the measure PPUC will also be required to provide a level of electricity to all consumers that is regular, constant, sufficient and safe for the reasonable use in the home or business.
Failure of P.U.C. to meet the requirements of this measure will free any affected consumer from the obligation to pay his or her electricity bill to PPUC.
