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Wanted: A unified workable plan for CUC
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Posted on Dec 08 2008
In my recent trip to Washington, D.C., Delegate-elect Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan and I met with Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs Director Nick Pula and his staff. I am happy to report that Mr. Pula and the Office of Insular Affairs are willing to help the CNMI solve its power crisis. Federal funds may be reprogrammed and authorized to solve the power crisis. The only thing required from the CNMI is for the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Governor to come up with a plan. What is needed is a unified workable plan to provide affordable and reliable power to the people of the CNMI.
There are three parts to the power problem. First is the price of fuel. There are some things that can be done to reduce reliance on expensive fossil fuel, especially with alternative energy, but presently for the most part we are at the mercy of the global market. Second is the management and personnel of CUC. Though performance-based management and accountability can reduce waste and mismanagement, ultimately people are still needed to run CUC. Third is the sad state of the engines at the power plant. Should we buy new engines? Should we repair some engines? What is the plan?
The Aggreko generators are temporary generators. In six months, the contract will expire unless extended for another few months. But the real problem is finding the funding to repair or replace the engines at the power plant. The federal government is willing to help the CNMI fund these repairs or replacement; we just have to have a unified workable plan.
In fairness, there are people at the legislature, at the Administration and CUC who are working very hard to keep the power on. What is needed is to focus our collective energy into coming up with a unified workable plan. The federal government is willing to provide the funding to repair or replace the engines so that the people of the CNMI can have reliable and affordable power, if the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Governor can come up with a unified workable plan. What that plan is will take form if and only if the Governor and the legislators sit down in the same room and hammer out a unified workable plan.
[B]Joseph Norita Camacho[/B] [I]Floor Leader, House of Representatives[/I]
