The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is looking at possible violations of power plant operators whose facilities remain on outage that caused thin power reserve levels in the Luzon and Visayas grids for the third straight day yesterday.
The ERC said power plant operators can be penalized if these facilities breach the allowable outage days.
Depending on configurations and the type of technology used, power plants are annually provided with a maximum number of allowable days on outage.
“The ERC recognizes the profound implication of the current power plant outages on grid integrity and reliability. As a matter of course, we collate information and review the reports from the affected stakeholders to come up with a preliminary analysis of the cause or causes of the incidents,” said Monalisa Dimalanta, ERC chair, in a statement.
“Based on our findings, we will formalize the investigation to determine compliance or non-compliance by the relevant stakeholders and implement appropriate measures to impose penalties on any lapses and address issues that may have contributed to the adverse situation,” Dimalanta added.
The ERC said while the primary focus remains on the immediate restoration of power capacities, the regulatory body is mandated to review the performance of stakeholders concerned to ensure compliance with reporting requirements, maintenance and technical standards, as well as observance of allowable outage limitations.
“We have directed power plant operators to submit to the Commission their estimated timelines for the resumption of their operations and we will continue to monitor their timely compliance. We are fully aware of the difficulties brought about by these power disruptions and affirm our commitment to a thorough investigation,” Dimalanta said.
The Luzon and Visayas grids were again placed under red and yellow alerts as of 7 a.m. yesterday as 42 power plant units remained on either forced outage or de-rated with a total unavailable capacity of 2,588 megawatts (MW).
Yellow alert was raised in the Luzon Grid yesterday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. while red alert was declared from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. as 19 power plant units and one more with de-rated capacities resulted in the unavailability of 1,891.3 MW in the region.
A red alert was also raised in the Visayas Grid from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. as 13 power plant units were on forced outage and nine more with de-rated capacities for a total lost capacity of 696.7 MW in the region.
Yellow alerts are issued when the level of power reserve in the grid is low while red alerts are declared when actual power supply against demand is insufficient and power interruptions are imminent.
According to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the alerts were raised as available capacity in the Luzon Grid was only at 13,397 MW compared to a peak demand of 12,892 MW as available capacity in the Visayas Grid was only 2,410 MW against a peak demand of 2,354 MW.
The Department of Energy (DOE) assured it continues to closely monitor and coordinate with the NGCP and all generation companies.
However, the DOE reiterated its appeal for the general public’s cooperation in minimizing power consumption specially at peak hours during the remainder of the summer season.
“As previously noted, the extremely high temperatures have been affecting the operations of power plants in the grid. The DOE is likewise coordinating with the concerned generation companies for the return to service of power plants under forced outage. At the same time, all parties are reminded of their compliance with the Grid Operating and Maintenance Program,” the DOE added.
