No growth in power demand this year

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POWER demand is likely to be  flat this year due to the impact of the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

This is despite the 30-percent decline in power demand recorded during the enhanced community quarantine between mid-March and early May.

Official meter reading data from distribution utilities (DUs) are yet to be released.

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Last year, the DOE projected for the Luzon grid to hit a peak demand of 12,286 megawatts (MW) this year which will be an improvement from 2019’s 11,300 MW peak level.

“During the (ECQ), residential consumption increased but it did not compensate for the drop of demand from the industrial and commercial sector so we will see that overall demand fell by at least 30 percent,” said DOE assistant secretary Redentor Delola.

“Visayas and Mindanao also experienced a drop in demand but not as big as compared to Luzon in terms of percentage,” Delola said.

Residential accounts for a big share in demand in Visayas and Mindanao whereas in Luzon, demand for residential and industrial is equal, about 30 percent.

“A change in the projections will happen for sure this year but as we slowly peak up, as we slowly normalize, it will go back to the normal trend but for this year, the impact seems big,” Delola said.

He said next year’s demand growth will also be tempered.

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