The Philippine Online Chronicles

The National Power Grid Corporation (NPGC) revealed in a special hearing in Congress that Mindanao will experience a power shortage of 4-megawatts (mW) on election day, May 10 and 144mW by May 27.

According to NGPC Deputy Assistant Chief Carlito Claudio, the extent of the current power problem in Mindanao has resulted to 2 to 3 hours rotational brownouts throughout the region. NGCP announced a “red alert state” in the Mindanao Grid due to generation deficiency.

House Committee on Energy chaired by Rep. Mikey Arroyo called the special hearing based on a directive by House Speaker Prospero Nograles for congress to look into the brownout scenario and concerns regarding the Automated Elections System (AES).

Power outages in Mindanao have worsened due to the critical water level in Lake Lanao and Pulangi River, the main sources of the Mindanao grid. The persisting drought or El Nino has brought the water supply in hydro electric power plants to critical levels.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said they are addressing the power shortage problem and will ask private power plants to supply additional power on May 10.

Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez said it is crucial for the energy department to address the power shortage problem in Mindanao especially as it may affect the automated election system. “Though the power shortage in Mindanao may be a one day event, it will affect us for six years. It will be decisive on who will be our President and senators for the next six years.”

“We should aim to supply Mindanao with additional 25 MW to cover the 4 MW shortage on May 10,” he said.

Claudio said additional 50MW from the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and 30 MW from Iligan Diesel Power Plant will be supplied but that will not be enough power to cover the shortage.

Reyes a no show

Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes was a no-show at the special hearing.

DOE representatives said Reyes is in Mindanao negotiating with owners of embedded private generators to supply additional power to the region. Embedded power generators are power plants which are available during emergencies.

During the budget hearings in September last year, it was Reyes who first called the attention of legislators that a power crisis might affect the conduct of the elections.

Luzon, Visayas grids ok

NPGC said Luzon and Visayas grids have enough power supply for the month of May.

“Preventive maintenance schedules in Luzon will start on March so there will be no power interruption."

“We have surplus power in Cebu, Negros and Panay. In Bohol, Samar and Leyte, we have enough power to supply all the loads. We can meet the demand and we have contingencies,” Claudio said.

NGPC said the power shortage can be solved in 2 ways – tapping additional power suppliers and enticing customers to drop their power loads.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) recently approved a resolution encouraging power distribution utilities and franchises to implement the ‘interruptible load program.’ Under this measure, customers will be asked to voluntary ‘de-load’ or be ‘load dropped’ from the system.

State of emergency

Napocor suggested that a declaration national emergency might be necessary to address the problem.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez supported this by saying that a state of emergency be declared in Mindanao due to the power crisis. He said that based on Section 71 of the Energy Power Reform Act (EPIRA), the President can invoke emergency powers in the face of an imminent power crisis. “My proposal is confined only to Mindanao.”

He asked Congress to call on the President to convene a special session and pass a joint resolution to declare state of emergency in Mindanao. “There might be a failure of elections. We need to act now. Even there is no El Nino, there will be power shortage in Mindanao,” Rodriguez said.

But other legislators were not convinced with Rodriguez’ proposition. Golez said the proposal for national emergency declaration will be met with protests. Anakpawis Rep. Joel Maglunsod said the DoE must present its concrete contingency plans to resolve the power crisis. The next special hearing of the Committee on Energy is set on March 1.

Photo: Hydro Power Plant c/o Flickr.com. Some rights reserved.