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No power outages—at least for now
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Posted on May 23 2006
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. has assured that Saipan will no longer experience power outages—at least for the meantime—after it stopped implementing the emergency temporary load shedding.
CUC spokeswoman Pamela Mathis told the Saipan Tribune that starting last Sunday there has been no blackouts on the island after the utilities’ crew fixed the mechanical problems at the Power Plant 1 Friday and Saturday.
CUC determined that the problems were lack of engine spare parts and the engine, which is very old, got hotter.
Mathis said the emergency temporary load shedding schedule that the agency implemented last Friday are no longer in effect.
But Mathis appealed to consumers to conserve power as frequently as possible.
The CUC spokeswoman warned that too much use of power may result in engine problems again.
CUC said there are no scheduled outages in the next few days.
CUC has been doing preventive measures to avoid more power outages.
Last week’s load shedding caused brownouts in Gualo Rai area, part of China Town, and As Falipe area, Lower Base, Capitol Hill, As Teo, Kagman I, II, and III, Papago, Tanapag, San Roque, As Matuis, and Marpi.
Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez earlier disclosed that the blackouts that Saipan has been experiencing are indications of more coming power outages unless CUC can immediately fix the problem with its engines.
He said more power outages are expected if CUC and the government will not “address the seriousness of the engines and in getting the proper backup and so forth.”
The peak load on Saipan averages at approximately 64-65 megawatt.
Aside from not having enough generating capacity, half of the engines at Power Plant 1 are more than 20 years old, with engines No. 1, 2, and 3 more than 25 years in service.
As part of the immediate plans, CUC has started performing an immediate but phased in approach to repairing and overhauling all of the eight engines at Power Plant 1.
