Public warned anew: Power outage possible during summer, including election day

This undated image shows electrical linemen fixing power lines.

Voltaire F. Domingo / Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — Manila-based policy group Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) repeated its projections on Wednesday that power interruptions may take place during the second quarter of the year, which includes the critical elections day on May 9, if coal-fired power plants continue to stay offline. 

The group echoed the findings of its previous report- released last month- that the Luzon power grid may experience rotating "blackouts", even as the grid operator said in its summer power outlook that will be "sufficient, but thin reserves" in the months leading to elections and afterwards. 

"From NGCP's (National Grid Corp. of the Philippines') official power outlook, the thin operating reserves will start on the 3rd week of April 2022 until the last week of May 2022. If the baseload coal plants continue to be on shutdown during this critical period, the forced outages could deplete the thin operating reserve and could trigger rotating blackouts," ICSC Chief Data Scientist Jephraim Manansala said during a virtual briefing on Wednesday. 

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/03/30/2170991/public-warned-anew-power-outage-possible-during-summer-including-election-day