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ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Zamboangueños will have a bright Christmas this year as the seven hours blackout ends Sunday.Omar Sahi, Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) president, made this announcement Saturday citing the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has provisionally approved the 10-year Power Sale Agreement (PSA) entered into by Zamcelco and the Western Mindanao Power Corp. (WMPC).The PSA, which was approved Friday, involves the purchase of 50 megawatts (MW) by Zamcelco from WMPC of the Alsons Power Group, which owns a 100-MW diesel-powered power plant in Barangay Sangali, 25.34 kilometers east of City Hall.Edgar Sevilles, Alsons Power Group vice president and business manager for diesel operations, said they would supply power to Zamcelco starting Sunday morning ,hours after WMPC’s 18-year PSA with the National Power Corporation (Napocor) will expire tonight.” The zero blackout is our Christmas gift to the Zamboangueños,” Sahi said citing first district Rep. Celso Lobregat as instrumental to the PSA approval by the ERC.Sahi added they had tapped the assistance of Lobregat in following up the PSA approval with the ERC.Sahi said Zamcelco would have sufficient power to meet its peak load demand of 85-MW with the approval of the PSA between the cooperative and WMPC.He said at present Zamcelco is being supplied by the Napocor and two Independent Power Producers (IPPs) namely Therma Marine, Inc. (TMI) and Mapalad Power Corporation (MPC).He said Zamcelco has a power deficit of 29-MW since the cooperative is receiving only a total 56-MW from the three power suppliers, thus, the seven-hour daily rotational blackout.He said Napocor supplies Zamcelco with 20-MW while TMI provides 18-MW and MPC also 18-MW.He said the approval of the PSA is timely since Zamcelco has a projected peak demand of 95.3-MW in 2016. (PNA)RMA/TPGJR