DOE Admits No Immediate Solution to Visayas Power Crisis

MANILA, Philippines — House committee on energy chairman Jose Alvarez pressed the Department of Energy (DOE) for an immediate solution to the continuing power shortage in the Visayas, but said the agency has yet to present one. Alvarez questioned the DOE on why the Visayas continues to experience Yellow and Red alerts despite the interconnected grid. “Why can’t Mindanao plants supply? Why can’t Luzon supply?” Alvarez asked. Energy Undersecretary Mario Marasigan explained that simultaneous outages of major power plants in Mindanao have limited the power that can be transferred to the Visayas. Only about 50 megawatts can currently be transferred because several plants remain unavailable. Marasigan also acknowledged the Visayas’ lack of conventional and baseload generation, particularly in Negros. “Negros has no baseload except for one geothermal. It’s all renewable – solar. There’s a lack of conventional plants,” Marasigan said. He added that the intermittency of renewable energy can further tighten supply when generating units go offline. Marasigan said the DOE’s focus is now on generation companies and the immediate return of unavailable plants. What’s important is that the plants on outage are back, he said. Despite these efforts, Marasigan warned that Yellow and Red alerts could still occur in the second and third weeks of October, underscoring the continuing vulnerability of the Visayas power supply. — Delon Porcalla