A year from now, there shall be light. Twenty-four hours a day if you want it.

Without interruption.

So say officials at Electricite du Cambodge. Phnom

Penh will have an adequate electricity supply, with six new power plants

scheduled to come on line to replace the city's old and decrepit

generators.

It will take longer to replace all of the distribution

systems, but the officials say that in three years, the overhead wires, wooden

poles, and distribution shacks run by "wholesalers" will be replaced by modern

bundled cable.

High voltage cables are being buried and the new power

stations are gradually taking shape in several quarters of the city.

In

total the new projects underway will provide about 70 megawatts of electricity.

Currently the city generators are only producing about 20 megawatts.

• Two 5-megawatt stations. The first was completed last month, the second due

  on line next March. The project is funded by Japanese aid at a cost of $20

  million.

• An 18 megawatt station. The foundation is being built and the station is

  scheduled to be in operation by about December. The project is funded by the

  Asian Development Bank at a cost of $18 million.

• A 10 megawatt station. Work is about to begin on this project funded by the

  World Bank at a cost of $8 million. It is due on line next February.

• A 35 megawatt station. The foundation is being poured for this project,

  located adjacent to the city's largest power plant on Norodom Blvd. It is being

  undertaken by an independent power provider, IPP of Malaysia, which will sell

  power to EdC. The plant should be in operation next June. Cost: $40

  million.

• Two distribution projects are getting started. One is a $30 million loan

  project of the Asian Development Bank to rebuild distribution in Phnom Penh,

  Siem Riep and Sihanoukville.

The other distribution project is in Phnom Penh and is funded by the World

Bank. Cost: $40 million.

All of the projects, which involve contractors

from several countries, are overseen and coordinated by the UNDP-World Bank

Power Assistance Program.