A Senate inquiry has been sought into the recurring red and yellow alerts issued by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, which have led to power interruptions in parts of Luzon and the Visayas.
Senate President Pro Tempore Win Gatchalian filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 425 to determine the country’s actual power supply situation, assess grid reliability, and identify measures to prevent further disruptions.
The proposed probe comes amid concerns that the El Niño weather phenomenon may worsen the country’s power-supply gap in the coming months.
“Projections that the El Niño weather phenomenon may strengthen in the last four months of the year, up to January next year, could exacerbate the power-supply gap in the country,” Gatchalian said.
From May 12 to May 31 alone, the Visayas grid was placed under red alert for approximately 22 interval hours and yellow alert for about 93 interval hours. During the same period, the Luzon grid was under red alert for around 27 interval hours and yellow alert for approximately 5.5 interval hours.
The inquiry will also look into the accountability of erring stakeholders, compliance of generation companies with industry standards, possible government interventions, and the strict enforcement of energy laws, including demand-side management under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.