Possible Power Interruptions in Metro Manila and Nearby Provinces
Metro Manila and nearby provinces in the Philippines may still face power interruptions this week due to the limited available power supply in the Luzon grid. The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) warned that emergency shutdowns of power plants or a decrease in their output could lead to power cuts to maintain the stability of the grid.
As of June 2, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reported that Luzon had 14,276 megawatts of available capacity, slightly higher than the weekend’s 11,572 MW. However, with peak demand reaching 12,000-13,000 MW, any unplanned outages or reduction in generating capacity could result in rotational power interruptions.
Meralco’s spokesperson, Joe Zaldarriaga, emphasized the need for more generating capacities to prevent future power interruptions. He apologized to customers for the inconvenience caused by recent outages and assured that the company is working to minimize or prevent further interruptions.
Over the weekend, parts of Metro Manila and neighboring areas experienced power interruptions, forcing Meralco to implement rotational interruptions to manage the strained system conditions. Despite efforts to normalize the power supply, NGCP raised red and yellow alerts in Luzon as multiple power plants were unavailable to meet the electricity demand.
To address the supply deficit, power service providers like Meralco may ask big customers to use their own generator sets through the interruptible load program. However, even with these measures, interruptions may still be necessary to stabilize the grid during times of limited power supply.
