The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has placed the Visayas power grid under yellow alert once again, marking the third week of warnings due to low power reserves.
The alert, issued on Monday, is effective from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., highlighting the ongoing struggle to meet rising electricity demand amid multiple coal plant outages.
Significant Power Shortages Persist
As of May 25, 21 power plants are offline, including one that has not operated since 2021. An additional 13 facilities are running at reduced capacity, resulting in a total of 874.1 megawatts (MW) being unavailable.
The Luzon and Mindanao grids are expected to operate under normal conditions.
National Grid Corp. of the Philippines
Currently, the available capacity in the Visayas is 2,664 MW, which is slightly above the peak demand. However, the frequency of yellow alerts raises concerns about the stability of the power supply.
This year alone, the Visayas and Luzon have experienced 18 yellow alerts and six red alerts, emphasizing the fragility of the current power situation. Stakeholders are increasingly calling for a robust strategy to improve the reliability of the region's energy supply, especially as they consider the factors contributing to these issues, such as the article on Why Brownouts Surge During the Philippine Summer Heat.
While Luzon experienced a respite from power interruptions recently, Palawan faced a blackout on May 22 due to a transmission line failure, affecting service across multiple areas.
The Department of Energy confirmed that the blackout was resolved following coordinated efforts between various agencies and electric cooperatives. The outage was traced back to a corroded section of the Irawan-Aborlan 69-kilovolt transmission line.
As the Visayas continues to grapple with these power challenges, stakeholders are increasingly calling for a robust strategy to improve the reliability of the region's energy supply.