The Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are urging more companies to participate in the government’s Interruptible Load Program (ILP) to guarantee sufficient power supply during the dry season.
In a statement, MERALCO said that firms that participated in the ILP were vital in preventing rotating power interruptions in the franchise area of the distribution utility firm following three days of a Red Alert being issued for the Luzon grid.
“The active participation of ILP participants in the Meralco franchise area in recent days is worth highlighting as it has greatly helped relieve pressure from the power grid, sparing thousands of small businesses and households from rotating power interruptions,” said MERALCO Vice President and Head for Enterprise and National Government Ma. Cecilia M. Domingo.
Under the voluntary and demand-side ILP program, large power users are encouraged to briefly disconnect from the grid and utilize their generators, or to scale back operations when there is not enough power available.
It has been put into practice a total of 27 times in the MERALCO franchise region since 2014. About 1.9 million households were spared from power outages by this initiative alone last week.
“Bayanihan continues to be our battle cry this year as we all try to do our part to mitigate the impact of El Niño on the power sector,” said MERALCO Vice President and Head of Utility Economics Lawrence S. Fernandez.
Domingo stressed the importance of support the program was receiving from industrial and commercial customers.
She added that the participation of these customers in the ILP program had eased pressure from the grid, and in turn, spared small businesses and households from suffering in the rotating power interruptions.
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