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A push for a Tinian Utilities Corp.
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Posted on Oct 18 2006
For the information of those citizens of Tinian who did not have the opportunity to attend last night’s CUC rate hearing on Tinian, several things became clear. First, former Judge Edward Manibusan, now legal counsel for CUC, more than satisfactorily fulfilled CUC’s legal mandate to hold a rate hearing on the island of Tinian. It was held within the 120 allotted by law.
Second, Mr. Robert Young of Economists.com clearly explained that there is only one rate system for the CNMI and that part of the bill the people of Tinian are paying is going to pay for repairs and maintenance to Saipan’s antiquated power generation and distribution system.
Manibusan also confirmed that, although CNMI law now makes CUC the sole distributor of electricity in the CNMI, if the Tinian Legislative Delegation were to introduce the appropriate legislation, a separate utility system could be established for Tinian.
Creating our own Tinian Utilities Commission would give us at least three significant advantages:
1. We would have confidence that every time we pay our bill we are only paying only for the power we use; residence by residence, business by business, government office by government office.
2. We would be able to procure our own supplies so that we never run out of supplies, like chlorine for our water, for instance.
3. And far more important, we can begin to develop alternative energy programs that are appropriate for our island community and will reduce our power bills.
As I said when I wrote on July 28, “The Tinian Legislative Delegation should immediately introduce local legislation to create the Tinian Utilities Corp. and charge it with the responsibility for overseeing the generation, distribution, billing and collection of public power and water services for the people of Tinian.”
It is now the middle of October and no action has been taken.
No progress has been made.
No member of the Tinian Legislative Delegation chose to attend last night’s public hearing.
[B]Don A. Farrell [/B] [I]Marpo Heights, Tinian[/I]
