^{Photo credit: PEDC}

The Department of Energy (DOE) has ordered the immediate restoration of affected transmission facilities and generating units after the Visayas grid was placed under red and yellow alert on Tuesday, as transmission line trips and generation outages tightened power supply across the region.

Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin directed the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), generation companies, and other relevant operators to accelerate restoration efforts to stabilize the Visayas grid following the alerts declared on July 8.

“The Department of Energy (DOE) – Electric Power Industry Management Bureau is currently coordinating with industry stakeholders and investigating the full circumstances behind these grid alerts that have affected the Visayas area,” the DOE said in an official statement.

Initial findings showed that the Iloilo-PEDC 138-kilovolt Line 3 tripped, isolating Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) Unit 3 and reducing available operating reserves in the Visayas grid. The Lapu-Lapu–Basak 69-kV transmission line also tripped.

DOE said it is also validating the reported outage of Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC) in Panay.

NGCP’s latest advisory showed the Visayas grid under red alert on Tuesday (July 8) from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with yellow alerts from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Available capacity stood at 2,397 megawatts (MW) against a peak demand of 2,492 MW, resulting in a supply deficit during the evening peak.

According to NGCP, the red alert was triggered by the 1:32 p.m. tripping of the Iloilo-PEDC 138-kV Line 3, which isolated PEDC Unit 3, and the 2:06 p.m. emergency shutdown of PCPC due to a possible boiler tube leak.

The grid operator also reported that 10 power plants were on forced outage as of July 8, while 14 generating units were operating on derated capacities, leaving a total of 1,092.8 MW unavailable to the Visayas grid.

“The Department assures the public it is conducting heightened monitoring and is implementing all necessary measures to protect power system reliability and minimize further disruptions,” the DOE said.

What do you think should be prioritized to improve grid reliability in the Visayas—faster transmission restoration, additional generating capacity, or stronger reserve margins? Join the discussion.

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