The Department of Energy (DOE) said the Luzon grid has been placed under yellow alert from 12 noon to 3 p.m. yesterday (June 4) because of low power reserves due to unplanned outages of several power plants coupled with a natural gas supply restriction from Malampaya.
The DOE said while its power forecast indicates sufficient supply to meet rising demand due to the shift to a general community quarantine in the National Capital Region, it considers the scenario to be alarming.
The DOE said generation companies, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and the Malampaya gas field operator will be mandated to explain the cause of the forced shutdowns.
“The energy industry must work together to ensure sufficient and stable power supply at all times. We also ask our industry players to approach us for any assistance the department could provide to fast track the necessary restoration activities… We assure the public that we will exhaust all possible measures to help prevent power interruptions from occurring during this challenging period,” said DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA) has appealed to legislators for a stimulus package that includes the greening and digitization of the country’s energy infrastructure.
In a letter to Senate committee on energy chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, the group said the power bill shock experienced by various customers could have been avoided if more smart meters are deployed and the use of solar rooftop packages is more widespread.
“The industry documented several positive experiences during the two-month lockdown on how homes with solar rooftop were spared from heavy debt exposure brought by an accumulated two-month electricity bill. Access to solar energy during the quarantine period avoided high electricity expenses in a period where families lost their jobs and had no compensation,” PSSEA chair Tetchi Capellan, said in a statement.
Capellan appealed for an aggressive investment at the energy distribution level allowing for three-year program that lays out the systematic deployment of prepaid smart meters especially among lifeliners who live in high-risk areas.
Gatchalian is pushing for the extension of lifeline rate subsidies for 20 more years in order to provide continuous relief to marginalized households or those who consume 100 kilowatt hours (kWh) or less of monthly electricity.
He said the law is being pursued as the lifeline-rate subsidy is set to expire next year. At present, customers with an average monthly consumption of 21 to 50 kWh are entitled to a 50 percent discount while those consuming an average of 51 to 70 kWh will get a 35 percent discount while those who consume a monthly average of 71 to 100 kWh are entitled to a 20 percent discount.