Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 21) — After experiencing rotating brownouts since end-May, Filipino consumers residing in Luzon may see a better supply situation, as energy firms suspend their power plant maintenance coupled with lower electricity demand due to the cold weather, a government official said Monday.
Department of Energy Undersecretary Felix Fuentebella said power plant operators have complied with the government’s call to reschedule their preventive maintenance program as the Luzon grid continues to face limited supply.
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Fuentebella stressed that existing rules prohibit power plant operators from implementing unscheduled shutdowns over the summer, from April to June, unless absolutely needed.
“Kung lahat po ay sumusunod (If everyone complies), we will definitely have a better power system to support our economy,” he said in a virtual briefing.
“The improvement also comes from the demand side, lumalamig ang panahon so bumababa ang paggamit ng kuryente. We anticipate a better scenario for our power system,” Fuentebella added.
[Translation: The improvement also comes from the demand side, the weather is getting colder so there’s a reduced power consumption.]
On Monday morning, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines issued a yellow alert over the Luzon grid amid a thin power supply. The power alert was lifted after over an hour.
A yellow alert means the power reserves, or the difference between supply and demand, are low.
Earlier this month, Luzon residents experienced rotating brownouts caused by unscheduled shutdowns of some power plants.
