Luzon, Visayas grids on red alert anew

MANILA, Philippines — Power grids in Luzon and the Visayas were again placed under red alert yesterday as electricity supply remained strained, raising the risk of rotational blackouts in several provinces.

The alert status, the second this year, was raised in Luzon and the Visayas from 3 to 10 p.m., according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

A yellow alert was also hoisted in both regions, covering Luzon from 2 to 3 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to midnight.

In the Visayas, the advisory was in effect from 10 to 11 p.m.

A yellow alert is raised when power supply is nearing insufficient levels, while a red alert is issued when supply is not enough to meet demand.

NGCP data showed that 51 power plants went offline, while 27 others were operating at a derated output, leaving over 5,300 megawatts unavailable.

This triggered the possibility of outages in Luzon, particularly in parts of Albay, Bataan, Batangas, Baguio, Benguet, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Pampanga, Pangasinan and Metro Manila.

More areas in the Visayas were affected including portions of Aklan, Antique, Biliran, Bohol, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Island, Leyte and Samar as well as Metro Cebu.

Amid tight supply conditions, the Department of Energy ordered all concerned power generation companies to immediately address the issue and ensure timely return to a full rated capacity, to protect consumers and maintain grid stability.