Pula: Focus on finding long-term solution

The Aggreko generators give the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. breathing room, but long-term decisions must be agreed upon in order to provide reliable power, Office of Insular Affairs Nikolao Pula said yesterday as he toured the Aggreko generators site.

“We don’t want to prolong decisions,” he said. “But we want to be transparent and not repeat the problems in the future. I don’t want to point fingers. Right now we need to focus on the power.”

“As far as my coming here, I’m looking forward to discussing options on where to move forward,” added Pula, whose department administers several grants for the Commonwealth and other U.S. insular areas.

He said it’s important to remember the Aggreko generators, adding 15 megawatts of power to the island, are only contracted for 12 months. CUC can opt to add six more months to the contract.

Navy engineers from Guam are scheduled to assess the power plants today and see which engines can be rehabilitated, Pula said. Once their data is complete, “we have to sit down and discuss,” he added.

Engineers from Guam were chosen to assess the situation because it was cheaper than bringing in engineers from other locations.

“It’s not free,” he said, adding that limited money and resources continue to be a struggle for CUC. Reprogramming capital improvement money might be necessary, he said.

When asked if he thinks CUC’s budget can cover the necessary improvements to the power plants, Pula said he did not know until experts, whom he said he is willing to bring to the CNMI, examined the conditions of the plants.

“Bottom line, you’ve got to look at where you stand. Once you do that you can go from there,” he said.

CUC executive director Antonio Muña earlier estimated the rehabilitation of engines 5 and 7 at Power Plant 1 to cost $2 million to $4 million.

During yesterday’s tour, CUC and Aggreko officials and crewmembers, including Muña, CUC managing engineer Venugopal Prabhakara and Aggreko commissioning engineer Roberto Rasalan, explained the safety precautions and working details of the generators.

Pula said it is important to have proper security on site for the equipment and for people.

“I’m more worried about someone coming in and not knowing what they’re doing,” Pula said. “This is millions of dollars worth of equipment.”

Rasalan said there is 24-hour security on the site as well as a fence surrounding the lot.

Pula said he was impressed with Aggreko’s quick response to the power crisis.

“It looks pretty good, to the extent the units got here,” he added. “I think everybody appreciates that. I’m impressed with how clean the systems are. The fuel system is small and contained.”

Earlier in the day Pula and Muna met with Gov. Benigno Fitial and other lawmakers, including Senate President Pete Reyes and House of Representatives Speaker Arnold Palacious. Guam Gov. Felix P. Camacho also took part in a conference call where geothermal energy was discussed.

Charles Reyes, press secretary for the Governor’s Office, said the meeting was productive.

“The parties were primarily discussing the CUC crisis and challenges, and the plan for a long-term solution,” he said. “Mr. Pula emphasized a plan to work together and push aside political problems.”