DOE: More rotating power outages expected

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos should brace for more rotational blackouts this year as yellow and red alerts are likely to persist in the coming months amid the looming threat of El Niño, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

Recent grid alerts could impact electricity bills in Luzon and the Visayas next month, the DOE warned.

Despite the expected drop in demand during the rainy season, Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said at least one more yellow alert is still projected in Luzon, along with seven in the Visayas and six in Mindanao.

In the Visayas, six red alerts may be raised during evening peak hours.

“Our power sector is preparing for El Niño scenarios. (We) are working together to respond to the challenges brought about by the shift of the season going to El Niño,” Fuentebella said yesterday.

A yellow alert is raised when power reserves are about to become insufficient, while a red alert is hoisted when supply is no longer enough to meet consumer demand.

The Visayas grid was again placed under yellow alert yesterday due to high electricity demand and the continued unavailability of several coal-fired power plants.

The alert status was raised from 4 to 8 p.m. before the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines extended it to 3 to 9 p.m.

Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said these grid alerts could exert upward pressure on the June billing period.

The government is stabilizing the Tayabas-Ilijan 500kV and Dasmariñas-Ilijan 500kV lines and working with power generation firms to synchronize affected supply capacities back on the grid, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said yesterday.