Visayas Grid on Yellow Alert Due to Tight Supply

The Visayas grid was placed on yellow alert Monday afternoon as outages and higher demand squeezed reserves, raising the risk of power interruptions for households. In an advisory, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said the yellow alert would be in effect from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A yellow alert is issued when the margin between the power supply and demand becomes thin, indicating that the grid is vulnerable to disruptions. This situation could lead to rotational blackouts if the demand exceeds the available supply. The NGCP attributed the tight supply to a combination of factors, including unscheduled outages of several power plants and an increase in demand, likely due to the prevailing warm weather. This development underscores the ongoing challenges faced by the Philippine power sector in ensuring a stable and sufficient electricity supply, particularly in the Visayas region, which is vital for industrial and commercial activities. The country has been investing in new power generation capacity and grid modernization, but the issue of supply-demand balance remains a persistent concern. Source: Inquirer Business