MORE Power investments ease fallout from Visayas outages
AN Institute of Contemporary Economics study points out that MORE Power's upgraded power distribution system for which MORE Power has spent P2.65 billion since it took over the franchise to distribute power in Iloilo City has enabled it to manage Manual Load Dropping occurrences, helping the utility company to protect critical services amid grid instability.
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MORE Electric and Power Corp.’s (MORE Power) investment in modernizing Iloilo City’s power distribution network has helped cushion the impact of repeated power interruptions that hit the Visayas in May and June.
A study by the Institute of Contemporary Economics (ICE) said MORE Power’s upgraded distribution system enabled the utility to better manage recurring Manual Load Dropping (MLD) ordered by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), helping protect critical services despite broader grid instability.
The report found that seven power interruptions recorded between 2 June and 19 June were “not ordinary local outages” but grid-security events caused by thin reserve margins, forced power plant outages, and transmission constraints.
On 10 June alone, the Visayas grid operated with only an 8-megawatt (MW) reserve against a demand of 2,421 MW.
ICE estimated that every MLD ordered by NGCP puts about P12.7 million worth of Iloilo’s economic output at risk.
Help soften disruptions’ impacts
Against this backdrop, the report said investments in the distribution network helped soften the impact of disruptions but underscored that strengthening only one segment of the power supply chain is not enough.
“Distribution modernization remains necessary because local network quality affects the reliability experienced by consumers.