Tulfo seeks assurance of no power outages during 2025 polls

Senator Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday sought assurance from the Department of Energy (DOE) that there would be no power interruptions during the 2025 national and local elections. 

Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy, asked the DOE how it could guarantee that the power outages that were currently plaguing some areas would not continue during the midterm elections. 

“Can we rely on you guys na sa 2025, especially during the election period, sa election day itself, na hindi magkaka-brownout? Maasahan pa rin ba namin kayo sa inyong statement?” the senator asked. 

(Can we rely on you that in 2025, especially during the election period and on election day itself, there will be no brownouts? Can we still rely on your statement?)

“Kasi back in February of this year, you did say na hindi tayo magkakaron ng power supply issue. Sinabi niyo ‘yan—walang problema, hindi tayo magkaka-brownout, kaya natin ang El Niño, etcetera. Then pagdating ng April, ayun na, nagkaka-problema na tayo,” he added. 

(Because back in February of this year, you said that we would not have a power supply issue. You said there was no problem, that we wouldn't have brownouts, that we could handle El Niño, etcetera. Then when April came, we started having problems.) 

DOE Undersecretary Rowena Guevara responded that there were power plants set to arrive in the country this year, and would yield more than 4,000 megawatts. 

“2,000 MW plus po doon ay conventional, 1,9000 MW plus is renewable. Kapag kinompute mo ang gigawatt hours nila, it would be an 18% increase compared to the 2022 values,” the Energy official said.

(Of the 4,000 MW, more than 2,000 MW were conventional, and more than 1,9000 MW were renewables. When you calculate their gigawatt hour, it would be an 18% increase compared to the 2022 values.)

“Ang atin pong increase in growth is about 6% per year. So, hanggang sa 2026, covered ang growth rate natin with the plants that are coming in just this year,” she added. 

(Our growth increase is about 6% per year. So, until 2026 actually, our growth rate is covered with the plants that are coming in just this year.) 

Guevara said that more plants were expected to arrive in the Philippines next year. 

She also thanked the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for shortening the waiting time for the system impact studies from one and a half years down to two months.

“‘Yung question niyo kung next year, meron na itong mga plantang na ito, binabantayan talaga namin ang papasok this year and we pave the way for them, whether it’s at the LGU level, sa NGCP, sa ibang national government agencies for permits and licenses. We try to pave the way for them so that wala nang rason na hindi sila makaka-operate within the date that they promised us,” Guevara said. 

(We’re monitoring the plants that will enter the country this year and we are paving the way for them, whether it's at the LGU level, with the NGCP, or in other national government agencies, for permits and licenses. We try to pave the way for them so that there would be no reason for them not to operate within the date that they promised us.) 

During the May 9, 2022 elections, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest power distributor, said at least 20 outage incidents were recorded in its franchise area.

The National Electrification Administration, meanwhile, recorded 201 power interruptions nationwide from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. on election day. 

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that 110,000 automated counting machines would be used in the 2025 elections. — DVM, GMA Integrated News