The Department of Energy (DOE) is targeting the release of an order within the year that could sanction power plants with prolonged or recurring outages, as the government seeks to improve reliability in the Visayas grid.

Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said Wednesday that the department is assessing generating facilities that have remained offline for extended periods or repeatedly failed to operate, with the findings expected to form the basis of the planned order.

“I’m asking my team to complete an assessment within the first half of the year on power plants that are not only breaking down now, but those that have been offline for six months or those that are unavailable for several months every year,” Garin said.

The order is expected to establish a framework for evaluating chronic outages and determining possible regulatory action against underperforming plants.

However, Garin said any penalties would have to be carefully calibrated to avoid aggravating supply shortages, particularly in areas already facing tight power conditions.

“Energy is not something where you can simply cancel a license. Our supply has to be precisely balanced. If we remove a power plant from the system, we have to ensure there is replacement capacity available. We have to calibrate it carefully,” she said.

The DOE chief said power supply conditions remain stable in Luzon and Mindanao, but the Visayas continue to face reliability concerns.

“The power supply outlook for Luzon and Mindanao is okay. Visayas is problematic,” she said.

Without additional interventions, the Visayas could continue experiencing yellow and red alerts this year and next year, according to Garin.

In the short term, the DOE is looking to add 150 to 200 megawatts of capacity through a combination of power barges, battery energy storage systems, ancillary services and idle generating facilities that can be brought online.

“The immediate plan is to bring in more power,” Garin said. “We are looking at power barges, batteries and other available resources. We are also identifying power plants in the Visayas that are not currently operating and can potentially be brought back online.”

For the longer term, the government is focusing on improving the reliability of existing power plants and strengthening transmission infrastructure across the Visayas.