The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines NGCP) has been directed to provide a detailed explanation of the power supply interruptions that have affected the Luzon and Visayas grids since Tuesday last week, amid mounting concerns over recurring electricity shortages.
In separate statements issued Thursday, the Department of Energy and the Energy Regulatory Commission said the order seeks to determine the causes of the grid disturbances that disrupted power service and affected millions of consumers.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said authorities are determined to ensure accountability in the power sector.
“The DOE is focused on ensuring stable power supply, protecting consumers, and enforcing accountability across the power sector,” Garin said.
“The public deserves a full and transparent accounting of the incidents that led to these grid alerts, and we are requiring NGCP to comply fully with all reportorial and regulatory obligations.”
The DOE said its technical personnel are independently assessing the condition of affected power plants and transmission facilities to verify whether NGCP and generation companies complied with dispatch protocols and restoration schedules during the alert period.
The agency added that it would continue coordinating with the NGCP, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines, distribution utilities, and power generators to restore supply stability and address remaining risks in the Luzon and Visayas grids.
Meanwhile, ERC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Francis Saturnino Juan personally inspected the System Operations Command Center to validate the status of the country’s transmission system.
Juan said consumers are entitled to “a clear and comprehensive account” of the incidents that triggered the alert declarations.
“Visiting the System Operations Command Center enabled us to closely observe the situation and ensure that the commission bases its actions on verified information rather than assumptions,” he said.
On Thursday, the Luzon grid was placed under red alert status from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. after available capacity dropped to 12,464 megawatts (MW), below the projected peak demand of 12,877 MW.
The Visayas grid was also placed under red alert during the same period as several power plants experienced forced outages. Available capacity in the region reached only 2,377 MW against an estimated peak demand of 2,552 MW.