Luzon and Visayas Power Grids on Red and Yellow Alerts Due to Thin Reserves

The Luzon and Visayas power grids in the Philippines were placed on red and yellow alerts on Friday due to thin reserves caused by forced outages and derated capacities of power plants. The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) issued a red alert for the Luzon grid from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., while the Visayas grid was upgraded to red alert status from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. due to higher forecasted demand.

The Luzon grid had an available capacity of 13,594 MW against an expected peak demand of 13,127 MW, with 19 power plants on forced outage and 3 running on derated capacities. The Visayas grid had an available capacity of 2,484 MW against an expected peak demand of 2,504 MW, with 18 power plants on forced outages and 10 others running on derated capacities.

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is activating its contingency plans, seeking voluntary 'de-loading commitments' from large industrial clients to temporarily switch to backup generators during peak hours. Meralco is also prepared to implement manual load dropping as a last resort. Meralco emphasized the importance of energy conservation practices by the public to further reduce overall demand on the grid.

Why this matters: The thin power reserves and potential for rotating brownouts highlight the vulnerability of the Philippines' power infrastructure. Addressing the reliability and capacity of the country's power grids is crucial for ensuring a stable electricity supply for households and businesses.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has begun a preliminary investigation into the series of red and yellow alerts, and will call on the power plants and NGCP for vetting. "The ERC can penalize operators if their facilities breach the allowable outage days," said ERC Chairperson Agnes Devanadera. The Department of Energy is closely monitoring the power supply situation and coordinating with the NGCP and generation companies to address the issue, while appealing to the public to minimize power consumption during peak hours.

Key Takeaways

• Luzon and Visayas grids in PH placed on red and yellow alerts due to thin reserves.
• Luzon grid had 13,594 MW capacity vs 13,127 MW demand, with 19 plants on outage.
• Visayas grid had 2,484 MW capacity vs 2,504 MW demand, with 18 plants on outage.
• Meralco activating contingency plans, seeking voluntary load reduction from clients.
• ERC investigating alerts, can penalize operators for breaching outage limits.