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The Visayas power grid returned to normal operating conditions on Thursday, June 4, ending a stretch of recurring yellow and red alerts that highlighted the region’s tight power supply situation. While grid reserves have improved following the return of a key generating unit, power authorities cautioned that the system remains vulnerable to major plant outages as several large facilities are still offline.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reported that available capacity in the Visayas reached 2,741 megawatts (MW) on Thursday, comfortably above the projected peak demand of 2,362 MW. The resulting operating margin of 379 MW marked a significant improvement from conditions seen in recent weeks.
According to NGCP, the normalization of grid conditions was driven largely by the return to service of KSPC 2, a generating unit operated by Korea SPC Power Corp. in Naga City, Cebu. Lower demand forecasts also contributed to the improved outlook.
However, NGCP warned that the situation remains fragile.
Despite the return to normal operations, the agency said the loss of a major power plant could once again force the declaration of a Yellow Alert, indicating that reserves have fallen below required contingency levels.
Weeks Of Tight Supply
The improvement comes after the Visayas grid spent four consecutive weeks under Yellow Alert conditions. Since May 12, the region has recorded 17 Yellow Alerts and four Red Alerts, reflecting persistent supply constraints across the island group.
Power shortages were attributed to a combination of forced outages at several generating facilities and elevated electricity consumption during the hot and dry season. Higher temperatures typically drive increased use of air conditioners, electric fans, and other cooling appliances, pushing demand higher across households and businesses.
Just a day earlier, the region remained under strain.
On Wednesday, June 3, NGCP placed the Visayas grid under a Yellow Alert from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. after reserves dropped below contingency requirements. At the time, available capacity stood at 2,552 MW against projected peak demand of 2,392 MW, leaving an operating margin of only 160 MW.
While Yellow Alerts do not automatically result in rotational brownouts, they indicate that the grid has limited backup capacity should another generating unit or transmission facility unexpectedly fail.
Imported Power
The recent supply challenges have exposed broader vulnerabilities within the Visayas power system, where nearly 1,000 MW of generation capacity remains unavailable due to outages and derated operations.
As of June 2026, ten generating units were reported under forced outage, while several others were operating below normal levels. Combined, these disruptions removed about 985.5 MW from the grid.
Among the major facilities affected were Therma Visayas Inc. Units 1 and 2, KEPCO SPC Power Corp. Unit 2, and Panay Energy Development Corp. Unit 3.
Despite the shortfall, widespread service interruptions have largely been avoided through electricity imports from other regions connected to the national transmission network.
The Department of Energy (DOE) said surplus electricity from Mindanao has been instrumental in stabilizing the Visayas grid, while Luzon has also provided support whenever excess capacity is available.
DOE Central Visayas Director Renante Sevilla underscored Mindanao’s role in helping maintain system reliability. “So far, ang Mindanao gyud ang adunay dako nga surplus ug mao nay makatabang sa Visayas karon,” he said. (“So far, Mindanao has the largest power surplus, and that is what is helping support the Visayas for now.”)
The importance of inter-island power transfers became more apparent in recent weeks when a fault on the Tayabas–Ilijan 500-kilovolt transmission line temporarily disrupted electricity flows from Luzon, adding pressure to already tight supply conditions. The transmission facility has since been restored.
Additional Generation
Energy officials maintain that conditions remain manageable and do not expect an immediate return to Red Alert status, which is declared when available supply can no longer meet consumer demand and operators are forced to implement manual load dropping or rotational outages.
Relief may arrive in the coming months as the rainy season boosts hydroelectric generation and several large power plants return to service.
Among the facilities expected to come back online are Panay Energy Development Corp. Unit 3, targeted for restoration by July or August, and Therma Visayas’ larger coal-fired units, which are scheduled to resume operations later in August.
The DOE has also previously announced interventions aimed at addressing power supply concerns in the region.
Still, authorities warned that continued growth in electricity demand could once again narrow operating reserves before these generating units return. Consumers have been encouraged to conserve electricity and support efficiency initiatives such as the government’s “Oras Natin ’To Efficiency” (ONE) campaign.
For now, the return of KSPC 2 and the improvement in reserve margins have provided the Visayas grid with much-needed breathing room. But with several major plants still unavailable and the system continuing to rely on imported power, energy officials say maintaining stable operations will require careful management in the weeks ahead.
Source:
https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/734224/visayas-grid-operating-normal-but
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/amp/story/cebu/visayas-grid-survives-on-imported-power