Despite the potential impact of the El Niño phenomenon, the Department of Energy (DOE) projects a sufficient supply of electricity in 2024.
In a report by the Philippine Star, DOE director for the electric power industry management bureau, Irma Exconde, mentioned that their projections indicate a 70% deration of hydro capacity. Additionally, she stated that major transmission projects are expected to be in place by next year, with forced outages expected to remain within that limit.
Moreover, Exconde mentioned that multiple solar power plants, totaling a capacity ranging from 700 megawatts (MW) to 1,000 MW, are anticipated to become operational in the coming year. This development is seen as advantageous, particularly in the situation of an El Niño.
Energy Secretary Raphael PM Lotilla, however, stated that, while the supply remained sufficient, power plant outages are unavoidable, especially for coal-fired power plants that would not be able to operate at full capacity, particularly in the summer heat.
The DOE added that as part of its El Niño preparations, it had been closely monitoring the country’s hydroelectric plants and had assumed that 70% of them, especially the larger ones in Luzon and Mindanao, would eventually cut back.
The country cannot rely entirely on hydroelectric power plants in the second quarter of the year due to the summer heat since the water supply cannot support the hydroelectric plants’ maximum capacity.
