DOE Assures No Power Outages on Election Day

Strategic Insights -

Filipinos can breathe a sigh of relief as the Department of Energy (DOE) has assured that there will be no power outages during the upcoming election, despite concerns about a potential shortage. According to DOE director Michael Sinocruz, the country has enough electricity supply until election day, but power reserves may get thin after the election, prompting a yellow alert and potentially leading to rotational brownouts.

Key Takeaways:

  • The DOE has projected a peak electricity demand of 12,387 megawatts in Luzon, higher than the actual peak demand of 11,640 MW recorded on May 28, 2021.
  • The agency has sufficient reserve levels in the Visayas and Mindanao regions, with expected peak demands of 2,528 MW and 2,223 MW, respectively.
  • The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has warned of a thin power supply and has asked government agencies to manage their power consumption to prevent unplanned outages.
  • Generation companies are prohibited from conducting any preventive maintenance and testing of generating units one week before and after election day.
  • The DOE has assured that there will be no brownout during election time, but power reserves may be thin afterwards, prompting a yellow alert and potentially leading to rotational brownouts.
  • The NGCP had appealed to declare May 9 to May 11 as holidays to ensure sufficient electricity, citing substantial demand decline on nonworking days.

Statistics:

  • Projected peak electricity demand in Luzon: 12,387 megawatts
  • Actual peak demand in Luzon on May 28, 2021: 11,640 MW
  • Projected peak demand in Visayas: 2,528 MW
  • Actual peak demand in Visayas on Dec. 31, 2021: 2,252 MW
  • Projected electricty demand in Mindanao: 2,223 MW
  • Actual peak demand in Mindanao on Aug. 4, 2021: 2,144 MW
  • Demand decline in Luzon on April 27: 1,000 MW
  • Electricity demand in Luzon on May 1: 2,700 MW lower than the previous Wednesday

Sources:

  • European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and its Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Committee
  • National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP)
  • Viber message from NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza
  • Department of Energy (DOE) press release