WIND POWER. Atty. Silvino N. Cinches, with his secretary Al Romo, the Dept. of Energy technical people Engr. Magdaleno Baclay Jr. of the DOE Visayas Field Office, Arturo Torralba Jr. and Romeo Galamgam of the Renewable Energy Management Division based in Taguig City.

A technical team from the Department of Energy who visited Bohol last week said there is potential here for harnessing wind-powered energy.

Engr. Magdaleno Baclay Jr. of the DOE Visayas Field Office said the ideal 5.6 per seconds wind speed at 30 minutes height can be generated in the island of Panglao surrounded by open seas and can deliver energy to two municipalities that include Dauis.

The team came to Bohol upon the request of former National of Bureau of Investigation director Atty. Silvino N. Cinches who earlier wrote to the PNOC-Energy Development Corporation for a possible consideration of a windmill-propelled power source for the island.

Lawyer Cinches noted the need of uninterrupted power supply for Panglao Island being the tourism hub and a prime tourism destination in this part of the country.

Panglao island host numerous resorts, high-end travel and diving sites and will soon be complemented with a new airport with international standards costing P4.2 billion eyed to be completed before 2010.

The DOE technical people included engineers Arturo Torralba Jr. and Romeo Galamgam of the Renewable Energy Management Division based in Taguig City. They conducted the wind measurement and site inspection in the areas of barangay Catarman and Biking in the town of Dauis and other areas of the Municipality of Panglao.

The data gathered here will be submitted for evaluation and will be followed by the establishment of a wind measurement station to determine the yea-round wind speed in the area.

One megawatt of wind power energy (electricity from wind-powered turbines) can supply the power needs of 2,000 households at the average consumption of 10 kilowatts.

Windmills eliminate the high cost of oil fuel.

A wind-powered electricity plant has been proven feasible in country of islands like the Philippines with the operation of the 25MW Bangui Bay Windmill Project in Burgos, Ilocos Norte.

The plant costing $2-M initial investment is the largest in the whole Southeast Asia and was funded by a grant from Netherlands.