DOE warns of more rotational blackouts

National

FOLOWING last week’s grid alerts, the Department of Energy (DOE) warned that rotational brownouts may persist amid the looming threats of El Niño.

Last Monday, May 18, the Visayas grid was initially placed under yellow alert from 4 to 8 p.m. before the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines extended it from 3 to 9 p.m.

In addition, a yellow alert is expected in Luzon, along with seven more in the Visayas and six in Mindanao. Six red alerts are also expected during evening peak hours, according to Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella per a report by Philstar.

The continued grid alerts also raise the possibility of rotational blackouts amid the looming threat of El Niño.

A yellow alert is declared when power reserves are running low, while a red alert is declared when the power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand.

Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said the continued grid alerts could exert upward pressure on the June billing period.

Meanwhile, Fuentebella said the DOE’s power sector is preparing for El Niño and continues to work on measures to address the challenges brought by the seasonal shift.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro also said the government is working to stabilize the Tayabas-Ilijan 500kV and Dasmariñas-Ilijan 500kV transmission lines while coordinating with power generation companies to restore affected supply capacities to the grid.(Althea Alexis M. Dimasuhid, CNU-Main Campus BA Comm Intern)