The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has announced that the power grids of Luzon Island and the Visayas will once again be placed under a yellow alert on Friday afternoon, citing thin reserves as the primary reason. This status indicates an insufficient operating margin to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirements, raising concerns about the stability of power supply in these regions.
According to the NGCP’s grid alert status as of 9 a.m. on May 2, the Luzon grid will be on yellow alert during the hours of 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The grid has an available capacity of 14,548 megawatts (MW) against an expected peak demand of 13,648 MW, highlighting a narrow margin that leaves little room for error or unexpected demand spikes.
The NGCP detailed the outages affecting the Luzon grid, noting that three power plants have been on forced outage since 2023, another three between January and March 2024, and 15 power plants between April and May 2024. Additionally, eight plants are currently running on derated capacities, resulting in a total of 2,285.5 MW being unavailable to the grid. These outages significantly strain the grid’s ability to provide reliable power, particularly during peak hours.
Similarly, the Visayas grid will be placed under yellow alert from 12 noon to 10 p.m. The available capacity in the Visayas stands at 2,837 MW, with an expected peak demand of 2,621 MW. The situation in the Visayas is also precarious, with one plant having been on forced outage since 2022, two more since 2023, two additional plants experiencing outages between January and March 2024, and 17 power plants between April and May 2024. Four plants are running on derated capacities, contributing to a total of 685.6 MW being unavailable.
The frequent issuance of yellow alerts underscores the critical state of the power infrastructure in the Philippines. The recurring outages and derated capacities point to an urgent need for improvements and investments in the energy sector. Without addressing these issues, the reliability of the power supply remains at risk, particularly as demand continues to grow.
The NGCP’s announcement serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges facing the country’s power grid. Stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector partners, and the public, must work together to find long-term solutions to ensure a stable and sufficient power supply. The continuation of yellow alerts could potentially lead to more severe power interruptions, affecting both residential and commercial consumers.