Group to monitor power situation during Malampaya shutdown

MALOLOS, Philippines – A party-list group will monitor the power supply in the country during the shutdown of the Malampaya gas-to-power facility from March 15 to April 14.

“As the temperature begins to rise, we are also starting to see dwindling power supply, a sure way to create uncertainties in the business environment,” Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan president and former congressman Angelo Palmones said yesterday.

Palmones, who is also president of the Science Journalists Association of the Philippines, said the government should ensure that more plants would be operational to ensure a steady power supply.

He said demand for power is increasing and the government needs to build new power plants to spare the people from blackouts in the coming years.

“Demand management is only part of the solution although at this point there is really nothing that we can do except to rely on the Interruptible Load Program and energy efficiency,” Palmones said.