The Department of Energy (DoE) is aiming to minimize, if not eliminate, any disruptions to the power supply as the start of the La Niña event is poised to affect the performance of some of the country’s power facilities. 

In an interview, Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla said his agency has prepared measures to mitigate potential disruptions caused by the weather phenomenon.

“We have prepared measures because if the rains are too heavy, as we have experienced in typhoon ‘Aghon,’ the power lines, especially in the areas which were hit by heavy rains, were interrupted, the ones in Quezon. So we have to prepare for contingencies,” Lotilla assessed.

“We have got to make sure that hopefully the La Niña will be there after already the dams have been replenished so that the hydros can be fully operational,” he added.

Resumption of reserves mart

Part of the measures that the DoE is banking on is the resumption of the power reserves market, which will allow the diesel and bunker fuel power plants to run.

The Energy chief also cited that an additional 2,000 megawatts of baseload capacity and another 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy that will be operational by the end of the year will help balance the supply and demand in the country.