2015 power supply crisis looms until 1,400 MW is pledged under ILP – DOE

Power supply concerns during the summer months of 2015 exist until enough companies are fully committed to cover 1,400 megawatts under the interruptible load program (ILP), Energy officials revealed in a briefing on Tuesday.

 

"There is still a power supply problem in 2015," Energy Undersecretary Raul Aguilos told reporters in a briefing at the Department of Energy in Taguig City.

 

Also, the technical and financial concerns of ILP participants still need to be addressed, Irma Exconde,  Electric Power Industry Management Bureau director, said in the same briefing.

 

"As long as hindi pa makapag-commit 'yung sa 700 megawatts (MW) na 'yun, we still have a problem," Exconde told GMA News Online in an interview.

 

"Congress was saying if they have about 800 MW of ILP then wala ng problema. That's what they think. But based on our experience there are a lot of issues that we need to address with the different ILP participants kaya hindi pa sila nag-sign up," she said.

 

Exconde said 25 companies have so far expressed interest to participate in the ILP. It is equivalent to about 155 MW, she said.

 

According to Exconde, a total of at least 1,400 MW should be pledged by companies under to fill the 700 MW in power reserves next year.

 

Power supply directly meets consumer demand, but there should be always be reserve in cases of source outages.

Options vs. crisis

 

Under the ILP, distribution utilities like Manila Electric Company and electric cooperatives can ask big load customers, such as malls, factories and large business establishments to service their power needs by using their own generator sets.

 

In an emailed statement, consumer group People Opposed to unwarranted Electricity Rates (POWER) said there are options to address the projected crisis next year other than granting President Benigno Aquino III emergency powers.

 

In a position paper submitted to House energy committee, POWER proposed that the operators of Malampaya and Pagbilao 1 should be asked to postpone their maintenance shutdowns, require private power plants to deliver on their dependable capacities from March to May 2015 as stipulated in their contracts, and ensure that government-owned plants are able to run at full capacities.

 

The group also suggested that aggressive energy saving and efficiency program should be implemented and privately-owned generating sets should be required to run during periods of acute shortage to complement existing supply.

 

“These options, if properly implemented during the critical months of March and May 2015, will be enough to produce that additional 300-500 MW of reserve power without the President having to invoke emergency powers to enter into expensive, negotiated contracts," the group said.

 

Aquino last month asked Congress for a joint resolution, citing the emergency provisions under the authority Electric Power Industry Reform Act, to avert the projected crisis. – VS, GMA News