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The Department of Energy (DOE) said the Visayas needs additional baseload generation to strengthen grid reliability. The agency noted that dependable power plants are needed to support the region’s growing renewable energy (RE) capacity and help maintain a stable electricity supply.
This issue was compounded on June 10 when the Visayas grid was placed under a red alert, triggering rotating power interruptions as electricity demand surged while available generating capacity remained constrained.
The situation was further strained after the Mindanao grid was placed under a yellow alert, indicating thinner-than-normal operating reserves despite still being able to meet current demand. As the Visayas also relies on energy imports from Mindanao, the tightening supply conditions in the southern grid added pressure to overall system stability.
DOE Secretary Sharon Garin said recurring red and yellow alerts in the Visayas underscore the need for more dependable generation capacity to support rising electricity demand and sustain economic expansion. While the government continues to advance RE development under the Philippine Energy Plan, stable, round-the-clock power sources remain essential for maintaining grid reliability. “What Visayas needs is steady baseload,” Garin said.
To reduce its dependence on power imports from Luzon and Mindanao, baseload plants and mid-merit generation are needed, according to the DOE. Baseload facilities like coal and gas provide a steady supply of electricity, while mid-merit plants can ramp up output as demand fluctuates.
(Also read: Grid Conditions Ease in Visayas Following Return of Major Cebu Power Unit)
Power Mix in the Visayas
Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Jake Maderazo pointed out that as of May 2024, the Visayas had 76 operating power plants, with RE accounting for 49% of the region’s dependable generating capacity. Nearly nine in ten megawatts (MW) of upcoming generation capacity in the Visayas are projected to come from RE projects and battery storage systems.
“But we should also be cognizant that we still need fossil fuels to maintain the workings of our grid in providing the electricity our society needs 24/7,” he warned.
Meanwhile, Garin explained that RE accounts for about 45% of the generation capacity in Visayas, well above the national average of roughly 25%. However, she noted that the rapid expansion of variable sources such as solar and wind has exposed gaps in flexible generation, as the region still lacks sufficient plants capable of adjusting output to match shifting demand.
Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairperson Saturnino Juan went as far as linking the recent red alerts to the natural output profile of RE, particularly solar, which peaks around mid-afternoon and helps ease strain on the grid during the hottest hours. But as sunlight fades between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., generation declines just as electricity demand begins to climb toward the evening peak.
Juan explained that the resulting outages, extending from late afternoon into midnight, reflect not just supply constraints, but a broader system challenge in replacing falling solar output with flexible, dispatchable power. “We are not simply facing an afternoon and early evening shortage; we are facing a flexibility shortage in the hours after the sun goes down,” Juan said.
Grid stability in the Visayas will hinge on the completion of ongoing power projects, which are set to come online in phases from next year through 2028 and beyond. Garin noted that baseload plant development typically takes three to five years.
To bridge the shortfall, the DOE is working with private developers to speed up the rollout of new conventional power plants. “There are already a few projects lined up. If they are completed now, the Visayas will be sufficient. The start of some plants was delayed because they were not coordinated properly,” Garin said.
Additionally, the DOE is moving to bolster short-term power supply through a mix of temporary and modular generation assets, including power barges, diesel units, and battery storage systems. Officials are currently assessing several options, such as a 70-MW bunker barge, a 50-MW natural gas-fueled barge, a 20-MW modular diesel generator set, and at least 20 MW of additional battery energy storage capacity.
DOE Undersecretary Mario Marasigan said new RE projects are also expected to add nearly 69 MW to the grid in the near term. To further ease supply constraints, the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection is currently running at its full 450-MW transfer capacity.
However, a Visayan Daily Star editorial sharply criticized the delay in developing baseload capacity, arguing that planning should have begun much earlier, given the long lead times for construction. “If it will take 3-5 years to build baseload assets, the DOE and the power sector should have started sooner, rather than the usual later. How much longer do the people of Visayas have to live with seasonal yellow and red alerts that should’ve been preventable through proper planning?”
Visayas Still Under Yellow Alerts
The Visayas has been grappling with tight power supply conditions, particularly in May when the grid was placed under near-daily yellow alert status. Marasigan said demand regularly peaks above 2,700 MW while available capacity has fallen to as low as 2,044 MW, leaving the system vulnerable during high-load periods.
“Since May 12, we have had 17 yellow alerts and four red alerts,” noted Marasigan.
A yellow alert indicates that supply is still sufficient to meet demand, but with limited reserves, meaning any unexpected plant outage could trigger outages. A red alert signals that available supply is already insufficient, raising the risk of rotating brownouts if demand is not curtailed.
Spot electricity prices hit a three-year high in May, driven by tight supply conditions, plant outages, and grid instability during peak demand periods, Maybank IBG said. Regulatory hearings have since flagged broader concerns over long-term energy planning, not only in the Visayas but across the country.
During the May 26 congressional hearing that probed the recurring yellow and red alerts affecting the country’s major power grids, the data presented showed that generation issues were the dominant cause, accounting for 237 of the 245 red alerts recorded from 2016 to 2025, or 96.7%. Only a small share was linked to transmission problems or a combination of both factors.
“The DOE always proudly says that they have added 4,046 MW of installed capacity: solar with 3,544 MW and wind with 502 MW,” wrote PhilStar’s Boo Chanco. “If we take those numbers at face value, we should be out of the dark.”
He noted that RE such as solar and wind deliver less usable output than their installed capacity suggests due to lower capacity factors—around 16% for solar and 33% for wind, compared with higher and more consistent output from baseload sources like coal, geothermal, and hydro. Capacity factor refers to the share of the maximum possible output a plant actually delivers over time.
This means that 3,544 MW of solar capacity may translate to only about 567 MW of effective supply to the grid. Solar generation drops off in the evening just as demand surges, making it unable to support peak usage unless paired with battery storage, which can only provide limited backup for a few hours.
“Solar/wind with battery back-up is technically still not baseload able to provide juice 24/7 for months nonstop,” he stressed. “Even the world’s largest batteries generally store enough energy to discharge at full capacity for only two to four hours. DOE and ERC are fooling themselves, and us, for claiming solar/wind with batteries is ‘renewable baseload.’”
(Also read: Visayas Brownouts Highlight Need For Stronger Grid Infrastructure, Says Consumer Group)
Baseload Still Central to Grid Stability
The Visayas power situation underscores a persistent gap between rising demand and the availability of firm, dispatchable capacity. Without sufficient steady-output capacity, the grid remains exposed to tight reserves, price spikes, and recurring alert conditions during peak periods.
DOE authorities have acknowledged that while the long-term direction includes more renewables, system stability still depends on conventional plants that can consistently deliver power regardless of weather or time of day. This makes baseload development not a policy shift away from clean energy, but a necessary foundation to support it.
Ultimately, the Visayas case reinforces a central energy reality: renewables can expand the mix, but dependable baseload remains essential for grid security while the transition continues.
Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates (CERA) convenor Nathaniel Chua summed this up by saying, “Baseload power is the backbone of a stable energy system. Solar is [just a] first aid, but Cebu urgently needs the ‘surgery’ of new baseload power plants to ensure long-term reliability and price stability.”
Sources:
https://business.inquirer.net/593120/visayas-in-dire-need-of-new-baseload-power-plants-says-garin
https://mb.com.ph/2026/06/03/doe-visayas-re-surplus-fails-to-prevent-threat-of-rotating-brownouts
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/06/03/doe-says-visayas-needs-more-stable-power-supply
https://opinion.inquirer.net/177848/or-baseload-power-is-vital-for-reliability-and-security
ERC Chairman Francis Saturnino Juan, speech at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) Energy Forum 2026, Manila, Philippines, May 26, 2026.
https://visayandailystar.com/a-prolonged-problem/?amp
https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/06/01/2531859/its-available-baseload-stupid
https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/709222/cera-pushes-solar-solution-as-energy-costs-surge