DoE confident no summer outages

Electricity supply will be sufficient for the upcoming summer season, despite plant outages and preparations for the national elections, the Department of Energy (DoE) ensured yesterday.

Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara confirmed that power supply capacity from Excellent Energy Resources Inc. (EERI) and South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC) is expected to increase. 

“By the middle of May, instead of the 1,350 megawatts we have from those two plants now, we will reach 2,500 MW, so we’ll be fine this summer,” Guevara said.

While the DoE does not anticipate immediate yellow or red alerts, Guevara emphasized that contingency measures have been activated. “We are just hoping that other plants will not have outages,” she added.

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Energy Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan also assured the public that the electricity supply was sufficient. “At the moment, the electricity supply is sufficient, and we do not anticipate any shortage in our power service,” he said.

Marasigan noted that the DoE is conducting simulations to prepare for both the summer peak demand and the election period.

“When a yellow alert is issued, it does not necessarily mean a brownout, but rather indicates a thin supply of reserves,” Marasigan explained. He added that the DoE is coordinating with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to ensure proper energy distribution.

In preparation for the elections, the DoE has formed an election task force to coordinate with the Commission on Elections and ensure power plants operate at maximum capacity. No major repairs or maintenance will be scheduled for power plants at least one week before or after the elections.

The DoE is also inspecting transmission lines for necessary repairs and preparing solar lamps and generators for areas with limited electricity access. The agency continues to work with stakeholders to meet power needs this summer.

Projections show that Luzon’s peak demand could reach 14,769 megawatts, up from 14,016 MW on 22 April 2024. In the Visayas, demand is expected to rise to 3,111 MW from 2,641 MW on 21 May, while Mindanao’s peak could increase to 2,789 MW from 2,577 MW on 22 May.

To help maintain grid stability, the DoE is urging households, businesses, and government offices to reduce energy consumption during peak hours, typically from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.