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House seeks Navy’s aid with power crisis
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Posted on Jul 24 2008
The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution urging the U.S. Navy to help solve the power crisis in the Northern Marianas.
The resolution calls on Admiral Robert F. Willard, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, to help end the power outages that have plagued Saipan because of its aging power plant and the high cost of fuel.
“With the aid of the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the CNMI may be able to identify and acquire any surplus supply of affordable and reliable power generators or alternative sources of energy from the United States Department of Defense,” states the resolution, sponsored by Representatives David M. Apatang and Justo S. Quitugua.
The resolution noted that the U.S. military has a stake in enhancing the quality of life for the people of the Commonwealth. The military controls some 17,800 acres of public land on Tinian through a 50-year lease agreement with the CNMI government. The leased property is being eyed as a training area for the Marines that will soon be relocated from Okinawa to the Marianas region.
Earlier this week, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial signed into law a bailout bill for the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation. The measure provides CUC $3.4 million to get rental generators and pay the utility’s debts to two independent power producers on Saipan and Tinian.
CUC will use $1.5 million as down payment for Aggreko International, which CUC hired to bring in temporary power to Saipan. The balance will go to pay CUC’s debts: $1.1 million to Pacific Marine Industrial Corp. and $800,000 to Telesource CNMI. PMIC runs Power Plant 4, which produces almost half of Saipan’s current power generation capacity. Telesource operates the power plant on Tinian.
