The Department of Energy (DOE) has declared that all major power grids in the country are operating under normal conditions after the successful restoration of a key generating unit in the Visayas, ending nearly two months of recurring supply alerts and easing concerns over possible rotating brownouts in the region. Energy Undersecretary Mario Marasigan said […]
The power outlook for the Visayas has improved following the return to full operation of a major generating unit, while the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is accelerating about ₱55 billion worth of transmission projects in Cebu to meet rising electricity demand and strengthen the region’s long-term grid reliability. NGCP officials said the […]
Preparations for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) have officially begun, with the House of Representatives leading an initial inter-agency coordination meeting ahead of the July 27 event. Representatives from the Senate, Office of the President, security forces, local government units, and other key agencies took part in discussions […]
From May 13 to 15, the Luzon and Visayas grids were placed under red and yellow alerts, signaling tight electricity supply during peak demand in the hot and dry season, when electricity demand for cooling surges. The situation began when transmission line trips in southern Luzon coincided with multiple generating units on planned outage or […]
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is moving to impose sanctions on power generation companies whose prolonged plant outages have contributed to recurring yellow alerts in the Visayas grid, while also revising reliability rules to ensure penalties better reflect the severity and impact of violations. ERC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Francis Saturnino Juan said the […]
Residential customers of Visayan Electric will pay higher electricity bills this June after the utility increased its residential rate to ₱13.74 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), up from ₱12.88/kWh in May, following a sharp rise in generation costs brought about by tight power supply conditions across the Visayas Grid. The increase marks the highest residential electricity rate […]
Modernization of Iloilo City’s power distribution network helped lessen the effects of repeated grid disturbances that hit the Visayas over the past two months, but the gains underscore the need for wider reforms across the country’s electricity supply chain, according to a report by the Institute of Contemporary Economics (ICE). The report found that investments […]
The Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates (CERA) has urged authorities to declare a state of energy emergency in Cebu, citing critically low power reserves and an ongoing supply shortfall in the Visayas grid. “Cebu is at breaking point,” warned CERA Lead Convenor Nathaniel Chua, lead convenor of the Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates, adding that although the […]
The Visayas and Mindanao are drawing increasing investor interest in battery energy storage systems (BESS) as regulators move to strengthen grid reliability and support the rapid expansion of renewable energy and industrial activity outside Luzon, according to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). The ERC said it has received 17 applications for battery energy storage projects […]
During a radio interview, Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Mario Marasigan emphasized that coal facilities remain crucial in addressing the Visayas’ power problems. “Ang nagdidikta ng capacity natin sa Visayas ay ‘yung malalaki nating planta na conventional, ‘yung mga coal facilities. ‘Yun po talaga ang inaasahan natin. Marami po tayong solar, lalo na po sa […]
