Gov’t urged: Ensure power during summer
‘It is critical that generation companies strictly follow maintenance schedules to ensure the reliability of power supply and prevent costly downtimes.’
(FILE PHOTO) President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the inauguration of the Hermosa-San Jose 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission project on July 12, 2024, at the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines Hermosa Sub Station in Bataan with (from left to right) Technical Officer and concurrent VP of Planning and Engineering Rico Vega, Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III, NGCP President and CEO Anthony Almeda, NGCP Vice Chairman Mr. Henry Jr., SAP Antonio Lagdameo Jr. and DOE Usec. Rowena Cristina Guevarra. The Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose Transmission Line, is expected to benefit around 59 million power users in Luzon by stabilizing power transmission services. This project ensures the reliability and sustainability of the power grid, capable of transmitting 8,000MW from power plants in Bataan and Zambales. This is part of NGCP's long-term vision for a resilient power grid, and is valued at PhP20.94 billion and includes numerous transmission towers, overhead lines, and substations. NGCP President Anthony Almeda has acknowledged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s support in advancing major infrastructure projects, contributing to economic growth.
Photo by YUMMIE DINGDING
A lawmaker on Friday urged the Department of Energy (DoE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to ensure that generation companies adhere to maintenance schedules to head off power supply disruptions when demand peaks during the dry months.
A member of the Senate Committee on Energy made the call following the issuance of a warning by the National Grid of the Philippines that unplanned plant outages could threaten power supply during the summer months.
“It is critical that generation companies strictly follow maintenance schedules to ensure the reliability of power supply and prevent costly downtimes,” the solon said.
Generation companies should conduct regular maintenance to address potential problems and maximize power generation output so possible outages could be prevented.
“Power outages, especially during the summer, have a widespread impact on families, businesses, and entire communities,” he lamented.
Raise information, education
The senator suggested the DoE should increase information, education, and communication on energy efficiency and conservation among consumers.
Such campaigns, he added, should focus on reducing overall energy consumption, particularly in high-demand areas like Metro Manila.
Implementation of efficiency and conservation measures is expected to significantly reduce energy consumption, help ensure sufficiency of supply, and generate savings for consumers, according to the legislator.