No blackouts seen in Luzon, Visayas on election day

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Energy (DOE) is confident that no power outages will occur in Luzon and the Visayas on May 9, as commissioning plants will boost supply in the regions.

Meanwhile, parts of Mindanao may experience power interruption but there will be sufficient supply in voting precincts to ensure a smooth election process.

In a briefing yesterday, DOE Secretary Zenaida Monsada said power outlook for Luzon and the Visayas is good, but some Mindanao areas may have rotating blackouts.

Monsada said all power plants that were on scheduled maintenance have started operating again.

“We have additional capacities from San Gabriel and Avion gas-fired power plants, which are on testing and commissioning. Both will add 400 megawatts of power to Luzon and Visayas grids,” Monsada said.

The 414-MW San Gabriel and 97-MW Avion natural gas plants of the Lopez Group were supposed to run before the summer months but encountered issues with its contractor.

“For Mindanao, some areas may experience rotating blackouts, but we are ensuring that voting centers will have electricity until the end of the election period,”  Monsada said.

The DOE is hoping the first unit of the coal-fired plant of Sarangani Energy Corp. could supply electricity to the Mindanao grid by May 9.

Last week, Monsada said emergency powers would not be an option during the election period with the entry of new power plants into the grid.

The DOE is coordinating with the power industry to ensure that preparations toward the election will be executed properly.