Table of Contents
The Visayas grid was placed under yellow alert on Tuesday after the unexpected shutdown of several power plants reduced operating reserves amid elevated electricity demand, prompting the Department of Energy (DOE) to order immediate restoration efforts and inspections of affected facilities.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said the yellow alert was initially set from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. but was later extended from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. as supply conditions remained tight. During the alert period, available capacity in the Visayas stood at 2,684 megawatts (MW), while peak demand reached 2,512 MW.
A yellow alert is raised when operating reserves fall below the required contingency level, signaling that the power system remains stable but vulnerable to outages if another major plant trips unexpectedly.
Coal Plant Outages
The power situation was aggravated by the forced outage of three coal-fired generating units with a combined capacity of nearly 500 MW.
In a statement, the DOE identified the affected facilities as Therma Visayas Inc. Units 1 and 2, as well as Panay Energy Development Corp. Unit 3. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin directed the immediate restoration of the plants and ordered the DOE Visayas Field Office to inspect the facilities and coordinate with generation companies to ensure their safe and prompt return to service.
“The DOE assured the public that it is conducting enhanced monitoring and coordinating with generation companies, the system operator, and other concerned stakeholders to support the timely restoration of affected units, maintain grid reliability, and minimize further disruption,” the agency said.
Garin also instructed generation companies to accelerate restoration works to help stabilize the region’s supply situation.
Supply Concerns
Latest NGCP data showed that 20 power plants in the Visayas were on forced outage, while nine others were operating at reduced or derated capacities. The outages and derations left a total of about 833 MW unavailable to the grid.
The DOE said 11 plants have been on forced outage since March 2026, while four units have remained unavailable since 2025. Two plants have also been offline since 2024 and 2023, while one generating unit has been out since 2021.
The Visayas grid heavily depends on electricity imports from Luzon and Mindanao to supplement local generation, making reserve levels more vulnerable during periods of plant outages or elevated demand.
Tuesday’s advisory marked the third yellow alert declaration in the Visayas this year, following similar alerts issued in January and April.
Monitoring Continues
Despite the tighter reserves, authorities said the power supply remained sufficient to meet existing demand during the alert period. However, the yellow alert underscored the limited buffer available in the event of additional plant failures.
The DOE said it continues to closely monitor developments in coordination with NGCP, generation companies, and other stakeholders to maintain grid reliability and minimize potential disruptions in the region.
The agency has not yet announced when the affected generating units are expected to fully resume operations.
Source:
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2026/05/13/2527623/yellow-alert-raised-visayas-grid/amp
https://business.inquirer.net/589929/ngcp-visayas-grid-under-yellow-alert