Capitol adopts energy-saving program: Visayas power woes worsen

CEBU, Philippines — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has admitted that the power supply situation in the Visayas has worsened, with several power plants remaining unavailable and taking nearly 1,000 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity offline.

As of 2 p.m. on Friday, September 4, the Visayas grid was placed under red alert from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., with available capacity at only 2,076 MW against a peak demand of 2,506 MW.

The grid was also under yellow alert from noon to 1 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., based on the power situation presented during a press briefing at the Capitol yesterday.

“Ang sitwasyon nato karon, ni grabi," said NGCP Assistant Vice President and head of System Operations–Visayas Engr. Neil Modena.

Modena stressed that the current problem lies not primarily with transmission infrastructure but with the lack of available generation.

He said power plants with a combined capacity of about 971 MW were unavailable to the grid, leaving the system with insufficient supply to meet demand.

“Mao na ang pinaka tinood nato nga situation karon, wala tay supply. Naa atong transmission line, naa si VECO nga mo deliver. Kulang ta og 971 MW,” Modena shared.

Modena also underscored Cebu's substantial electricity consumption, saying the province accounts for around 50 percent of the entire Visayas' power demand.

The supply shortage has forced system operators to manage the imbalance between available generation and demand by removing load from the grid, resulting in rotational brownouts.

“Para na manage namo ang supply ug demand, dili ma blackout manangtang gud mi og load. Kulang lang jud ang supply. Maong mag rotational brownouts para ma balance.” Modena said.

He explained that the power system involves private generators producing electricity, NGCP operating the transmission network, and distribution utilities such as Visayan Electric (VECO) and the Cebu Electric Cooperatives (CEBECO) delivering power to consumers.

The NGCP official said load shedding is necessary to prevent the transmission network from becoming overloaded and potentially collapsing.

“Di ta gusto mag blackout? Ngano man kay kung ma overload atong network mo collapse ta.” Modena said.

He cited a recent instance when the system had to sacrifice supply in northern Cebu to prevent a wider blackout.

“Nagpasalamat mi the other day, gi sacrifice ang north up to Logo kay if wala estimate two minutes mag blackout na ta.” he said.

The latest grid figures showed that 12 plants were on forced outage, while 16 others were operating at reduced capacities, resulting in a total of 972.6 MW unavailable to the Visayas grid.

The unavailable capacity was attributed to several forced outages and derated power plants, with some generating units having been offline for months and others for years.

The additional red and yellow alert periods were also attributed to the unavailability of major Visayas coal plants, including TVI 1 and PEDC 3, as well as the tripping of Leyte-A Maha B, CEDC 1 and other generating units.

The Visayas grid also experienced limited power imports from Mindanao, further tightening the available supply.

A red alert is declared when available power is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission system's regulating requirement, while a yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is inadequate to meet the grid's contingency requirement.

Amid the continuing power shortage, Governor Pamela Baricuatro has issued Executive Order No. 47, adopting the Takna Pagpawong Sa Suga (TAPS) Program as part of the provincial government's energy efficiency and conservation measures.

The program is aligned with the Department of Energy's “O.N.E.: Oras Natin sa Efficiency” campaign, which encourages households, businesses, institutions and government facilities to reduce unnecessary electricity consumption.

Under the order, the province will observe a TAPS Energy Reduction Hour every Monday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Participation is mandatory for provincial government departments, offices, economic enterprises, field offices and other facilities owned, leased, operated or controlled by the provincial government under the governor's executive supervision.

Other sectors—including component cities and municipalities, barangays, schools, utilities, commercial and industrial establishments, malls, hotels, civil society groups and households—are strongly encouraged to participate voluntarily.

During the designated hour, covered facilities are directed, where safe and practicable, to switch off or dim non-essential lighting and turn off unused equipment.

Air-conditioning units in unoccupied spaces must also be switched off, while occupied air-conditioned areas should maintain thermostat settings at not lower than 24 degrees Celsius, subject to medical, technical and equipment requirements.

The order also calls for the temporary reduction or suspension of the non-essential use of elevators, escalators, fountains, pumps, displays and similar electrical systems. Energy-intensive discretionary activities should likewise, when practicable, be moved to periods of lower demand.

Despite the energy-saving directive, the provincial government stressed that conservation measures should not compromise essential services.

Healthcare, emergency response, disaster risk reduction, public safety, security, communications, information technology, water supply, sanitation, laboratory operations, cold-chain requirements, traffic management and building safety systems must continue operating.

Emergency lighting, alarms, fire protection systems, medical devices, life-support equipment, medicine refrigeration, servers, CCTV, access controls and other critical equipment must likewise remain operational as required.

The order also prohibits the switching off of streetlights, security lights, exit lights, stairwell lights and other lighting needed to prevent accidents or crime.

Alongside the energy-saving program, Baricuatro issued Executive Order No. 48, creating a Composite Technical Working Group to oversee the orderly transition of Cebu's interim power-generation operations in Malapascua Island.

The province assumed interim power-generation operations in Malapascua in August 2024 following the cessation of operations of the previous power provider and the threat of a prolonged power crisis.

The provincial government acquired and deployed four 500-kVA generator sets to provide interim power to the island.

However, the order recognizes that operating a power-generation facility requires specialized technical capability, regulatory compliance, personnel, maintenance, fuel, logistics and significant financial resources, and was never intended to become a permanent provincial undertaking.

The new technical working group will assess the existing generation system, inspect and document provincial assets, review regulatory requirements, reconcile fuel and financial records, and evaluate possible successor operators, including NPC-SPUG, CEBECO II, an authorized microgrid provider or another legally qualified entity.    

The group is also tasked with preparing a transition and continuity plan designed to prevent avoidable interruptions in electricity service, with continuity, reliability, safety and affordability identified as its paramount considerations.

Department of Energy-Visayas Director Renante Sevilla said the government is pursuing measures to address the power shortage both immediately and over the long term.

For the short term, Sevilla pointed to the use of ancillary services to help stabilize the power system.

For the long term, he said the government is looking at the development of additional power plants in Cebu.

Among the projects identified is the 150-MW Daanbantayan Solar Project, which is being developed as a major renewable energy facility in northern Cebu.

The province is also looking at the Alegria oil and gas field as part of broader discussions on Cebu's future energy resources. (CEBU NEWS)