DOE: Electricity supply ‘sufficient’ for dry season, elections

The Department of Energy (DOE), on Wednesday, assured the public the country has enough supply of electricity to provide power during the incoming dry season and the 2025 elections.

In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview, DOE Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan said they have been conducting continuous simulations to ensure that there would be no lack of supply of electricity over the coming months.

“Lahat ng paraan ay ating sinisikap para makasigurado tayo na ang ating supply ng kuryente ay sapat at hindi po tayo magkakaroon ng problema,” he said.

(We are implementing all possible ways on how to ensure that our electrical supply is sufficient and that we won’t have any problems.)

The DOE said their simulations included a temporary shutdown of a liquefied gas facility in April for maintenance work.

As a result of the shutdown, the power plant is anticipated to be able to provide a higher amount of electricity from the current 1,300 megawatts to around 2,500 megawatts by mid-May.

“Nagbigay daan ito para magkaroon at makapasok ng serbisyo yung pinatawag natin na onshore gas storage facility na dati o sa kasalukuyan ay umaasa tayo sa floating storage… Kailangan natin mapatakbo na ang Unit 1 para madagdagan ang kapasidad na magiging available para sa ating mga planta,” he said.

(This gave way for a service, an onshore gas storage facility, whereas we are currently depending on floating storage… We have to be able to operate Unit 1 soon so that we can increase our plants’ electrical capacity.)

In response to increasing temperatures, Marasigan assured the Energy Department  has increased its “peak demand projection” to comply with anticipated electricity use in response to the increasing heat index.

“Isinama na po natin yan doon sa ating simulation kung saan sa halip po na mag-rely lang tayo doon sa ating peak demand forecast, inihalo na po natin ‘yung magiging epekto ng mainit na kapaligiran. Kung kaya’t itinaas na po natin yung antas ng ating peak demand projection, para po matugunan naman ang ating supply,” he said.

(We included that in our simulation where, instead of just relying on the peak demand forecast, we are also considering the effects of the hot environment. This is why we’ve increased the level of our peak demand projection so that our supply would be able to handle it.)

Powering the elections

Meanwhile, the DOE said it has activated the Energy Task Force on Elections to prepare several areas and facilities for their electrical needs during the 2025 polls.

“Dalawang beses na po tayo nagkaroon ng pakikipag ugnayan sa Commission on Elections… Nakapagbigay na rin po tayo ng ating abiso sa lahat po nating stakeholders, the power industry, para ano po ba yung mga dapat gawin natin ngayon,” Marasigan said.

(We’ve already coordinated with the Commission on Election twice… We have also given advisories to all our stakeholders, the power industry, on what else we need to do now.)

Election preparations include the ban on productive or repair and maintenance of electricity from one week before the election to one week after the election, as well as full-capacity operations for all power plants.

“Naglabas na po tayo ng ating kalatas na dapat sa ngayon pa lang, naging inspection na po sila ng kanilang linya ng kuryente para po pagdating ng election, tayo ay handa at 100% ready kung anuman ang mga pangangailangan natin,” he said.

(We have issued a mandate that state inspections on electricity lines should start as early as now, so that we are 100% ready for anything we would need for the elections.)

DOE is encouraging the public to adhere to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program, and for it to be more strategic with how it uses electricity.

“Hindi naman po kailangan na magtipid talaga ng kuryente. Ang kailangan lang po natin ay masinop na paggamit ng kuryente. Yung gagamitin lang natin ng kuryente kung kailan natin kailangan,” he advised

(We don’t really need to save electricity. What we need is to use it responsibly. We should only use electricity when we need it.) —RF, GMA Integrated News