Ensure no brownouts this summer, senator tells energy sector

Energy sector officials and other stakeholders should ensure that there is enough supply of electricity in the country during the dry season, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Thursday.

“Dapat natuto na ang DOE (Department of Energy), power generators at lahat ng stakeholders sa mga insidente ng brownout sa mga nakalipas na mga taon at inaasahan natin na mayroon na silang contingency measures upang maiwasan ang power interruption ngayong summer,” the Senate energy committee chairperson said in a statement.

Gatchalian pointed out that the peak demand for electricity spikes by 5.45% in Luzon and 3.19% in Visayas during summer because of heightened use of refrigerators and air conditioners.

He filed a resolution which aims to look into the initiatives being undertaken by different energy agencies to ensure that rotating power outages will not be experienced by the public.

The lawmaker said that while power supply is enough at present, the DOE has recently advised the consumers in the Luzon grid to brace for a possible "red alert" from April to May.

Power generation firms shall be strictly monitored to avoid such interruptions, according to Gatchalian.

DOE-Electric Power Industry Management Bureau Director Mario Marasigan earlier said that the agency will not allow power generation plants to schedule their maintenance shutdown during the summer to prevent outages.

"'Yung mga critical na planta dapat gawin ang kanilang preventive maintenance bago pa lang mag-summer," Marasigan said.

"Nu'ng una po kasi ang worst scenario na nakikita natin sa buwan po ng Abril puwede tayong magkaroon ng red alert. Pero sa kasalukuyan po, wala na po tayong red alert by April at hahaba po na 'yan hanggang June," he added.

Gatchalian said that the DOE should prioritize the construction of more power generation plants in the country as a long-term solution to the problem. —LDF, GMA News