The Energy Regulatory Commission on Saturday zeroed in on power plant operators or generation companies for possible sanctions following the recent massive electricity shortfall in Western Visayas.

During the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta emphasized that the commission is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the blackout and identify those accountable.

While she refrained from prejudging the investigation, she clarified that no entity, including power plants, will be exempt from sanctions if they are found to have fallen short of the required standards.

"We can't simply excuse, for example, the power plants," Dimalanta said.

"Among those (power plants cited in initial reports), are there any that did not maintain standards? For example, did any of them disconnect earlier than what's required under the Grid Code? If that's the case, there are penalties, if we indeed find that they didn't do their job," Dimalanta said.

Power outages hit the islands of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros due to trip-offs by the Panay Energy Development Corp. Units 1 and 2, as well as the Palm Concepcion Power Corp. Unit 1.

Dimalanta noted that the power backbone concessionaire National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, or NGCP, is facing a backlash because it is the "main actor" in operating, maintaining, and developing the state-owned power grid.

She said the ERC is expected to gather more information about the region-wide blackout by next week, adding that the investigation may be completed in six to eight weeks.

After the investigation is completed, potential fines and penalties, up to a maximum of P50 million per violation, would be imposed.

Electricity back  in W Visayas

Dimalanta said the power supply on Panay Island was back to normal.

She said the last affected power plant resumed operations and synchronized with the grid last Friday, gradually restoring electricity.

"The situation in Western Visayas normalized between noon and 2 p.m., prompting the NGCP and the system operator to lift all constraints. The Wholesale Electricity Spot Market commercial operation also resumed during that time," Dimalanta said.

Even though power has returned to the area, the ERC said that ongoing monitoring is still a top priority in light of the protracted power disruptions.

NGCP says it followed protocols

Meanwhile, the NGCP denied involvement in the Panay Island blackout, claiming that it had adhered to its procedures, in response to criticism from influential government figures and agencies.

In a television interview on Saturday, NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza said the power grid operator had fulfilled its responsibility to transport power in Western Visayas.

"Based on the data we gathered, the transmission of the grid system did not fluctuate because the voltage and frequency remained normal, especially during the time when the power plants went offline," Alabanza said.

She said that there was no need for load dropping.

"Since we didn't see any problems with the voltage… truth be told, I even thought that if, for example, we made a guess, speculated, and removed the load without reason, many would have complained," Alabanza said.

In its defense, the NGCP maintained that the system was functioning normally before the power plants tripped repeatedly, insisting that it had followed the correct procedures.