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CPA excluded from scheduled outages
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Posted on Aug 10 2005
The Commonwealth Ports Authority begged off from the rolling blackouts implemented by the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. after the generator at the Saipan International Airport’s broke down due to mechanical problems.
In consideration of CPA’s request, the utility firm excluded the airport from its load-shedding schedule, at least from last Tuesday through today.
Acting power plant operation supervisor Raymond B. Cepeda reported that CUC asked the ports authority on Tuesday to generate its own power for the airport because the utility could not handle the island’s load demand.
But the airport’s generator broke down around noontime Tuesday due to problems with the radiator and fan blade, according to CPA deputy director Regino Celis. The airport does not have any other backup generators.
Celis said the engine was still being fixed as of yesterday afternoon. But he expressed hope that the repair and replacement of broken parts would be completed today, if not Wednesday evening.
“I have asked CUC to assist us while our generator is being fixed, so the airport could continue operating. Once the generator is fixed, we will be able to accommodate their requests to self-generate,” said Celis.
CUC’s revised load shedding schedule spares Kiya No. 1 villages that were supposed to experience power outage from 7pm to 9pm today. Aside from the CPA airport, the areas spared from the blackout are As Gonno, As Perdido, Koblerville Elementary School, and Saipan Southern High School.
Instead of these areas, the two-hour power outage will affect the WSR Elementary School, Tun Doi, Fina Sisu, part of As Perdido, and Chalan Piao.
Other areas included in the load shedding schedule will be hit by two-hour blackouts, as previously announced.
B&R Corporation Auto Repair in Chalan Laulau and the Marianas Visitors Authority in Oleai will be taken offline from 10am to 12nn.
A power outage will also be experienced from 3pm to 5pm in Gualo Rai, Chalan Laulau, and part of Chalan Kiya; and from 5pm to 7pm in San Roque Elementary School, Achugao, San Roque, As Matuis, and Marpi.
