Even without PNoy’s emergency powers, no brownouts in Luzon over next four weeks

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla has expressed confidence there would be no brownouts in Luzon for the next four weeks despite Congress’ failure to grant President Benigno Aquino III special powers to address the looming power crisis this summer.

While he was mum on the actual figures, Petilla said the Department of Energy’s (DOE) energy outlook for the next four weeks was very, very good,” with no power plant expected to shut down.

“Our outlook for the next four weeks is actually very, very good. It looks like malalampasan natin [ang panahong iyon na] walang brownout,” he told reporters Wednesday at the sidelines of Absolut Distillers Inc.’s inauguration of a solar power plant in Lian, Batangas.

“Based on our outlook in the next four weeks, we will survive without any brownout—though I have to qualify that. It all depends kung may babagsak na planta. But now we don’t expect na may babagsak na planta. Mukhang lahat ngayon ‘behaved’,” Petilla said.

The Senate and House of Representatives have yet to pass the joint resolution granting Aquino special powers to resolve the projected power shortage in Luzon as they remain in a gridlock on whether or not to pass the cost of running privately-owned generator sets to consumers.

The Senate wants the cost of operating the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) to consumers while the House is pushing for the government to reimburse the companies which would participate in the initiative through the Malampaya Fund.

Advanced preparations

Petilla said the DOE worked double time to prepare for the possible tightness of power supply during the summer since he had expected the Senate and House to come to an impasse in passing the measure.

“I did not even expect that either one of them would  approve the emergency powers so pinaghandaan na namin na pupwedeng wala ito. Bago pa ang summer, sinabi na namin na walang magme-maintain na planta ng summer,” he said.

Aside from advising plants against conducting maintenance works over the summer months, Petilla said demand has been low over the past few weeks because summer has been relatively cool and some sectors have been heeding pointers to conserve electricity.

Despite the encouraging power supply outlook over the next four weeks, Petilla said the DOE is on alert for the possible tightening of supply in April.

“Ang problema natin, pag pumasok ang tag-init ang hydro[electric power plants] natin nawawalan ng tubig, lahat ng tao gumagamit ng aircon, at ang mga planta habang tumatagal at tumataas ang temperatura, mas malaki ang chances na masira. So ang real test [kung magkakaroon ng brownout ay sa Abril],” he said.

ILP ready to run

In case power reserves drop to critical levels, Petilla assured that the ILP is ready to run, with private corporations having committed between 800 to 900 megawatts of power.

“The companies are more than happy to run [their generator sets] kung kailangang patakbuhin. Ang tanong na lang dito— dahil hindi magkasundo ang Kongreso at Senado—[‘yung reimbursement],” he said.

For his part, House energy panel chair Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali isn’t giving up hope that the two chambers will arrive at an agreement regarding the pass-on provision and still be able to pass the measure.

“I am still [hopeful], for the sake of consumers who will be burdened by the pass-on provision under the EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) and Senate version,” he said in a text message Thursday.

Should negotiations for the measure fall through, the ILP can still run, but the cost will have to be passed on to consumers, in accordance with protocols established by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). —NB, GMA News