No power supply problem on election day – DOE

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Energy (DOE) assured the public yesterday that there would be enough supply of electricity on election day.

“We are confident that we will have sufficient power before, during and after May 9, barring unforeseen outages,” Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada told a hearing of the House committee on energy.

Monsada said adequate supply should be maintained not only during the voting but also during the canvassing of votes and the proclamation of winners.

Power producers were told that there would be no maintenance shutdowns during the critical voting-canvassing-proclamation period, she said.

“We have asked new plants that are about to be commissioned and our ILP (interruptible load program) participants like malls to be on stand-by just in case their capacity would be needed,” she added.

Monsada said they would also operate two government-owned power plants in Pililla, Rizal before May 9.

Power reserves

Dennis Taal, superintendent of the Cagayan control center of National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), said they are eyeing 241 megawatts of power reserves to prevent power interruptions in Mindanao on election day.

The NGCP said they would source the additional power from the ILP, embedded power generators and the Agus power plants.

The Commission on Elections earlier directed law enforcement agencies to secure Tower 25 along the Agus 2-Kibawe 138-kiloVolt line so it can be repaired and restored by NGCP personnel.

The NGCP reiterated its appeal to the public to help secure power transmission towers especially during the elections.

The public was urged to report suspicious activities near transmission towers to 0917-8476427 or 0918-8476427 or email at [email protected].

Terrorists groups are reportedly planning to bomb more power transmission towers in Mindanao, according to military intelligence reports.

NGCP towers in Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, General Santos City) are reportedly being targeted. – With Gerry Lee Gorit, Iris Gonzales, Danessa Rivera