System operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Luzon grid on yellow alert from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday on tight power supply amid high temperature.
A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.
NGCP announced that available capacity reached 12,488 megawatts (MW), compared to a peak demand of 11,829 MW as eight power plants have been on forced outage since February, and four other power plants were out since 2024.
NGCP said 16 plants were running on derated capacities, which deprived the grid a total of 3,362.3MW.
It cited several factors which contributed to the declaration of yellow alert such as the increase in Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines’s (IEMOP) forecast demand from 11,325 MW (morning) to 11,829 MW (afternoon).
It said a significant number of plants were also on unplanned/forced outages.
The Visayas and Mindanao grids, however, were under normal condition.
Manila Electric Co. said it is monitoring the power situation following the NGCP’s declaration of yellow alert.
“We advise the public to practice energy efficiency measures to help manage the overall demand. In addition, we are ready to activate the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) if needed,” Meralco spokesperson and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga said.
ILP is a demand-side management program through which large-load customers are asked to use their generator sets or reduce their operations, instead of drawing power from the grid, to spare households from power interruptions during instances of Red Alert or when supply is insufficient to meet the demand.
The Department of Energy reminded the public to adopt energy efficiency measures to manage electricity consumption and ensure the stability of the country’s power supply.
The agency said the summer months are characterized by higher energy demand, primarily driven by the increased use of cooling appliances such as air conditioners, electric fans and refrigerators.
“Without mindful consumption, this surge could strain the power grid, potentially leading to supply challenges and price fluctuations in the spot market,” Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said.
