Napocor eyes reduced diesel reliance in off-grid areas

The new president and CEO of National Power Corp. (Napocor), Jericho Nograles, has identified reducing the company's reliance on diesel fuel in off-grid areas as his top priority.

Nograles stated that diesel power plants are the most expensive to operate, with the cost of diesel-generated electricity averaging P30 per kilowatt-hour while consumers only pay about P7 per kWh.

This significant subsidy gap necessitates a shift away from diesel, prompting Napocor to accelerate its renewable energy (RE) rollout strategy.

Nograles expressed optimism that improvements in their RE strategy will yield visible results within the next six months.

Napocor's mandate under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act is to supply electricity to communities not connected to the main power grid.