The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) says that the country’s power supply in the Luzon Grid is enough for the summer season.
The power demand for the summer season is expected to grow 1.5 percent – peaking at around 9,900 megawatts (MW) by the month of May.
“The NGCP has always been watchful especially during the summer months. We are on heightened awareness. We are looking after the grid with special care,” NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza said.
NGCP is also seeing May 13 to 19 will have the “thinnest power supply.”
The country’s weather bureau PAGASA has yet to declare the beginning of the summer season, but the demand has already hit 9,400 MW last March 24.
The grid operator said that it was a “high” mark very early in the season.
The currently available power supply is 11, 220 MW – leaving around 1,300 MW reserve power.
“Which is why we have to mitigate any possible unforeseen circumstances with load side management and demand-side management,” Alabanza said.
NGCP Power Network Planning Division Head Fidel Dagsaan Jr said that the power situation of the Luzon Grid is good that it will take two major plants to shut down for the grid to be placed on red alert.
“If the plants that will go on an unplanned maintenance shutdown and the power that will go out from the grid is 1350 MW or more, we would go into red alert,” he said.
“That is why NGCP is urging consumers to be prudent in using power this summer. We see the projection that there is sufficient supply. We don’t want to strain the grid too much because during the summer months, power consumption is really high. These are all projections and our load profile may change,” Alabanza said.
The NGCP encourages the consumers to use electricity wisely, especially switching off and unplugging appliances that are not in use.
