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Vice Speaker supports call for energy summit
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Posted on May 04 2008
Vice Speaker Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero has expressed support to Washington Rep. Pete A. Tenorio’s call for the CNMI to hold a summit on energy to address the utility power crisis.
Deleon Guerrero said he agreed with Tenorio in his State of the Washington Office Report that NMI leaders should come together in a conference to discuss, explore, and agree to what directions are going to be with respect to energy.
In an interview with Saipan Tribune shortly after Friday’s State of the Commonwealth Address and State of the Washington Office Report, the vice speaker said he is also aware with Fitial’s announcement that the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., through the $6.5 million federal grant, is nearing completion of maintenance and repair at Saipan’s main power plant in Lower Base.
“The request for reprogramming of the CIP (Capital Improvement Program) funds really was the recommendation that came from the Legislature. I’m glad that that did happen and I am glad that the contracts have been awarded and rehabilitation work is ongoing,” he said.
Deleon Guerrero said maintenance and repair are the very immediate solution to the power problem.
He said the next step is really for the administration and Legislature to come together and agree to what is the best permanent solution.
“We have to agree if we are going to pursue renewable energy, what kind of renewable energy? The Executive Branch cannot be saying geothermal and the Legislature is going wind power. Who knows the Washington Rep. may say ocean thermal or ocean wave energy. We need to come united with that,” the vice speaker stressed.
In his report, Tenorio proposed to Gov. Fitial and the Legislature to convene an energy summit to develop short term, intermediate, and long term energy plans.
“Let us agree that we cannot do this alone. We need assistant from the federal government to help us develop a realistic plan for power sustainability to help us identify expertise and federal financial help,” Tenorio said.
