DOE: Reliable Power Supply Ensures Sustained Economic Growth

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With the current power supply situation, the Department of Energy (DOE) is looking for mechanisms to ensure the adequacy, availability and stability of electricity necessary to sustain the country's economic growth.

The recent spate of Yellow Alert Status declaration by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) prompted the DOE to assess whether there are enough measures or standards for power generation companies to ensure their power plants are always in good condition and are able to meet their obligations to their respective customers. It has been observed that the lack of power supply or thinning power reserves for the past days have been due to the forced outages of various generating plants in Luzon.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said “We are keen on improving the power supply situation in the country. We will strengthen the policies and programs and we will work with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to ensure that all standards are enforced to ascertain reliable, stable and reasonably priced electricity, because we cannot let the people suffer from power interruptions.”

Mechanisms that are being studied by the DOE include looking into the provision of replacement power for contracted capacities and the creation of technical audit teams to assess the operations and contracts of generation companies and distribution utilities as well as strengthening the promotion of energy investments to augment the supply of electricity in the country.

Today (04 August), the power supply situation in Luzon was placed again in Yellow Alert Status following the forced/unplanned outage of various plants totaling to 1,297 megawatts (MW), including the 50MW Angat Main Hydropower Plant Unit 4, the 180 MW Kalayaan Hydroelectric Power Plant U1, the Makban Geothermal Power Plant U1 and U10 with a combined capacity of 83 MW, the 60 MW Limay Cogeneration Plant Block 5, the 382 MW Pagbilao Coal-Fired Power Plant U2, the 122 MW South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp. Coal-Fired Power Plant U1, 280 MW Malaya Thermal Power Plant U1 and the 140 MW Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. Coal Fired Power Plant U2.

Meanwhile, the power plants on planned maintenance shutdown are the 180 Kalayaan U2, the 265 MW Sta. Rita U2, the 55 MW Bacman Geothermal Power Plant and the 600 MW Ilijan Natural Gas Power Plant Block B.

Based on the 6:00 a.m. advisory of NGCP, Luzon system capacity stood at 9,805 MW, while the system peak demand is projected to reach 9,128 MW at 11 a.m.leaving reserve capacity at 364 MW. Moreover, Visayas and Mindanao grids are operating on normal condition.

The DOE also reiterates its call to the public to judiciously manage energy consumption as this matter is better resolved with everyone’s cooperation.

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