Negros Power has successfully completed the rehabilitation and upgrading of the 30-kilometer Bacolod-Silay 69kV sub-transmission line, marking a significant milestone in its mission to deliver more stable and reliable power supply to Central Negros.
This high voltage line connects the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and Negros Power substations, which serve thousands of residents and businesses.
The project involved inspecting, replacing, and upgrading 266 structures spanning seven key segments and covering 29.87 circuit kilometers, a press release from Negros Power said on Tuesday, June 24.
The outdated and frequently failing porcelain insulators were replaced with durable polymer insulators, eliminating a long-standing cause of frequent power interruptions, it said.
“Before this rehabilitation, broken insulators were causing two to three unscheduled outages weekly. Today, I am proud to report that there have been zero insulator failures since December 2024,” Roel Z. Castro, Negros Power President and CEO, said.
“This accomplishment shows our commitment to reliability and our investment in building a better energy future for Negros”, he added
One of the major challenges faced was terrain accessibility—103 of the 277 poles of 37.18 percent are located in off-road areas, requiring crews to manually access and repair them through sugarcane fields and muddy terrain, the press release said.
Despite the logistical hurdles, the project was 100 percent accomplished, thanks to the dedication of Negros Power’s line workers and engineers, it said.
“This is not just an upgrade. This is a clear message to every consumer that Negros Power is serious about system reliability, safety, and long-term progress,” Castro said.
Frank Carbon, co-chair of the Energy and Power Committee of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Visayas, said “Stable and modern power is essential to economic growth. The direction Negros Power is taking is exactly what Bacolod and the rest of Central Negros need.”*