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Ogo wants Rota CIP funds used for windmill project
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Posted on Nov 19 2006
A Rota lawmaker is pushing for his island’s capital improvement funds to be reprogrammed for a windmill project.
Rep. Crispin M. Ogo said that Rota has about $28 million in federal funds for infrastructure projects, including those that have been completed and those that have yet to start.
He said that at least $4 million of these funds can be reprogrammed for a windmill project, which he hopes will augment the power supplied by the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and ultimately reduce utility rates for Rota residents.
The funds being eyed for reprogramming include $1.2 million from a landfill project and $1.6 million from a wastewater project.
“These projects are also important, but the power crisis is a more pressing issue at this time,” Ogo said.
He added that his proposal has the support of the Fitial administration, which is keen on the idea of establishing a pilot windmill project on Rota.
Ogo initially planned to include the windmill project in a previous bill seeking to authorize CUC to float a $40-million bond for the repair and overhaul of Saipan power plants. He had wanted $6 million of the loan to be invested in power generation projects for Rota.
His proposal was to appropriate $4 million for the windmill project. The remaining $2 million would have funded the upgrade of existing power generation and distribution facilities, which had been damaged by previous typhoons, and the purchase of supplies and equipment for CUC-Rota.
