MISMONG si United States Ambassador MaryKay Carlson ang nanguna sa isinagawang turnover ng tatlong U.S.-government donated mobile energy systems (MES) na nagkakaloob ng ligtas, maaasahan at sustainable electricity para sa mga liblib na lugar sa Palawan.

Kasama ni Ambassador Carlson sa ginanap na turnover ceremony sa National Power Corporation (NPC) Irawan Switching Station sa Puerto Princesa City, sina Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Raphael Lotilla, NPC President Fernando Roxas, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines Mission Director Ryan Washburn, at DOE Undersecretary Giovani Carlo Bacordo.

“The MES are not just equipment. They are essential tools of resilience and innovation that have been proven to provide power to some of the most remote locations in the country,” ani Ambassador Carlson.

“On behalf of the U.S. government, I thank the DOE, the NPC, the Energy Regulatory Commission, and all our partners for their leadership and collaboration in making sure that no Filipino is left in the dark, no matter where they live,” dagdag pa ng U.S. Envoy.

Ang nasabing MES ay isasama sa microgrids na minamantini ng NPC, na magbibigay ng life-sustaining power sa mga malalayo at disaster-prone areas sa bansa.

Ang bawat MES unit ay equipped ng 9.18 kW ng solar panels at battery capacity na umaabot sa 70 kilowatt-hours—sapat para pailawan ang may sampung kabahayan sa loob ng isang araw.

On a single charge ay kaya nitong suportahan ng kuryente ang disaster response team sa loob ng isang linggo, nagkakaloob ito ng power supply para sa satellite internet connectivity, limang computers, sampung mobile phones, sampung two-way radios, at dalawang electric fans.

Sinasabing ito ang latest batch ng MES units na ipinagkaloob ng United States para suportahan ang Pilipinas na makamit ang kanilang energy goals sa ilalim ng USAID’s Energy Secure Philippines program. Noong 2024, ang U.S. government ay nagbigay ng isang MES unit sa DOE’s Emergency Operations Center sa Manila at dalawang MES units sa munisipalidad ng Lal-lo at Santa Ana sa Cagayan.

Apat pang MES units ang nakatakdang ide-deploy sa bansa bago matapos ang taon.

“Since launching the first MES unit last year, we have witnessed the MES units’ potential in action—from powering the DOE Emergency Operations Center during a blackout to enabling real-time government services in typhoon-hit areas of Cagayan,” ani Ambassador Carlson.

“These mobile systems are flexible and are proven to provide reliable power to local communities across the Philippines.”

(JESSE KABEL RUIZ)