Over 480K Meralco consumers hit by power outages

Power outages hit more than 480,000 customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) due to insufficient supply on Thursday evening. 

The power interruptions lasted for over an hour in parts of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Pampanga, according to Meralco. 

This comes after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Luzon and Visayas grids under red and yellow alerts and warned of possible power interruptions.

Meralco said that services were restored at 11:55 p.m. 

"We thank our affected customers for their understanding. We also express our appreciation to ILP (Interruptible Load Program) participants in the Meralco franchise area that de-loaded yesterday for their help in managing the situation," Meralco Spokesperson and Head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga said.

"We also continue to urge the public to continue practicing energy efficiency and conservation measures to aid in demand-side management," Zaldarriaga added. 

On Friday, the NGCP again issued yellow alerts to Luzon and Visayas power due to thin reserves.

In its grid alert status as of 9 a.m., May 24, said the Luzon grid will be placed on yellow alert on the following hours:

1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

6 p.m. - 11 p.m.

The Luzon grid has an available capacity of 14,548 megawatts (MW) against an expected peak demand of 13,648 MW.

A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin falls below the necessary level to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

A red alert indicates that the power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulatory requirements. —VAL, GMA Integrated News