DoE: Phl power stable despite dry spell

Despite the threat of El Nino, power consumers need not worry about experiencing power interruption for the rest of the year and even until next year. The country's power supply remains stable and is expected to be augmented by new power resources in the coming years, according to the Department of Energy or DoE.

Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla said during a press conference on Thursday that there is constant communication with partners to ensure that supply is enough to meet the demand.

"From the supply side, we are looking at adequate levels. We have been monitoring them very closely, especially the ones in Luzon so that's why it is important to see which new sources will contribute to the supply," Lotilla said.

"If you recall, we did not have 1,200 MW of Ilijan in parts of 2023 so now in 2024 with the projected completion and complete operation of the LNG import terminals and regasification facilities, we expect this will be very helpful, particularly for Luzon," he added.

Citing the DoE's latest power outlook figures, Lotilla said no yellow or red alerts are noted throughout the country.

Still, the DoE will continue to work on diversifying the country's power sources to deliver uninterrupted supply.

For her part, DoE Electric Power Industry Management Bureau Director Irma Exconde said the country's hydropower supply was derated by 70 percent this year due to the dry spell, but the supply cut will be offset by new supply coming in from several solar power plants with a consolidated capacity of more or less 700 MW.

"We have been monitoring hydropower plants this 2023 because of the preparation for El Niño and we have assumed 70 percent of the duration of hydropower plants, particularly the large ones in Luzon and Mindanao, because in Visayas we don't have very many hydropower plants," Exconde said.

"Still, even with these assumptions, we're still looking at without potential red or yellow alerts because of the power plants coming in 2024," she added.

Based on DoE data, the highest demand forecast during El Nino was in 2010 with the demand growth rate expanding about 10.5 percent in Luzon and 15.3 percent in the Visayas. In Mindanao, the highest El Nino demand growth rate was in 2016 at about 9 percent.

While there is sufficient and continuous power supply, Lotilla warned that it is for the private sector, which mainly controls the entire sector, to ensure that this will be maintained.

The Energy chief reiterated that operators need to strictly ensure that their power plants will run normally in the next few months.

Once a power plant fails, yellow and/or red alerts will be immediately raised, and that may lead to power interruptions — an inconvenient occurrence during summer when the weather is much warmer. It may also force operators to use more expensive alternative fuels, which may further trigger price spikes.

A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid's regulating and contingency requirements. When this status is in place, all power plants must run normally; otherwise, a red alert may be raised.

A red alert, on the other hand, is issued when supplies are insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid's regulating requirement.