ERC says power demand going back to normal

The current power demand is returning to normalcy despite current issues plaguing the power supply system, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Attorney Agnes Devanadera said Sunday.

In an interview with Dobol B TV, Devanadera said the lower demand for electricity was brought about by the cold weather amid the rainy season.

"Isang tingin namin, magandang balita kahit nagkakaroon ng red and yellow alert, e 'yung ating demand for power ngayong 2021 ay nakikita na natin ang demand for power noong 2019 nu'ng wala pang pandemya," she explained.

(It is good news that despite the red and yellow alert, our demand for power this 2021 is similar to demand for power in 2019, when there was no pandemic.)

"Ibig sabihin bumabalik na tayo sa normalcy. (This means we are going back to normalcy)," she added.

Nevertheless, Devanadera warned that they will impose penalties against power plants who would fail to give justifiable explanations for unplanned outages.

"May penalty diyan lalo na kapag makikita ng ERC na artificial lamang ang kanilang ginagawa. Kapag hindi justifiable ang kanilang hindi pag-andar," Devanadera said.

(There's a penalty there especially if the ERC sees that their reasons for not operating are not justifiable.)

In early June, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines announced it will raise Red and Yellow Alerts, citing thin reserves based on the supply and demand. 

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi previously proposed that management of the private-led grid system operations in the country should be taken over by the government. —KG, GMA News