MANILA, Philippines — Electricity consumers across the Visayas and Mindanao are facing a heightened risk of power interruptions on Friday, September 4, as both regional grids remain under red alert amid tight power reserves and several unavailable generating units.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Visayas grid under red alert from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., with yellow alert periods from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The situation is similarly tight in Mindanao, where the grid is scheduled to be under red alert from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., preceded and followed by yellow alerts from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Visayas supply falls short of demand
According to NGCP data reported Friday, the Visayas grid has an available capacity of about 2,233 megawatts (MW) against a projected peak demand of 2,504 MW.
That leaves the region with a substantial supply gap at peak periods.
NGCP said eight power plants were on forced outage in September, while other generating units have remained unavailable for extended periods. Another 17 plants were operating at reduced or derated capacities, resulting in approximately 815.8 MW of unavailable capacity.
The continued unavailability of major coal-fired facilities, particularly Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI) Unit 1 and Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) Unit 3, is among the factors putting pressure on the grid.
Limited or unavailable electricity imports from Mindanao are also restricting the Visayas’ ability to shore up its supply.
Mindanao also under pressure
Mindanao is facing a similarly precarious situation.
NGCP placed the Mindanao grid under red alert from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, with yellow alerts before and after that period.
Available capacity is estimated at around 2,549 MW, while peak demand could reach 2,592 MW.
NGCP reported that eight power plants were on forced outage in September, while additional generating units have remained unavailable from previous months.
Six other plants were operating at derated capacities, bringing the total unavailable capacity to approximately 784.5 MW.
The outages involving major coal plants—including GNPower Kauswagan Units 1 and 2 and Therma South Inc. Unit 2—are contributing to the tight supply situation.
What does a red alert mean?
A red alert does not automatically mean every area will experience a brownout.
Instead, it signals that available electricity is insufficient to meet consumer demand while also maintaining the required regulating reserves.
When supply becomes critically tight, distribution utilities may be instructed to implement manual load dropping or rotational power interruptions to protect the wider grid from a potentially more serious system disturbance.
A yellow alert, meanwhile, means the operating margin has fallen below the grid’s required contingency reserve.
Power problems have persisted for weeks
Friday’s alerts are the latest in a continuing supply crunch affecting both regions.
PNA reported earlier this week that repeated forced outages have significantly reduced available capacity in the Visayas and Mindanao grids. The Visayas, in particular, has repeatedly entered red-alert territory as demand remains elevated while major generating units remain unavailable.
Earlier Inquirer reporting also noted that the Visayas grid had experienced repeated red alerts despite the return of some generating capacity. Two facilities in Cebu had returned to service, including TVI Unit 2, which restored about 169 MW, and the KEPCO-SPC Power Corp. facility in Naga City, Cebu, with a generating capacity of about 103 MW.
However, the additional capacity has not been enough to create a comfortable reserve margin because electricity demand remains high.
The Department of Energy’s Visayas field office has also been looking toward battery energy storage systems and the return of additional generating units to help stabilize the grid.
Consumers urged to prepare
With red-alert periods concentrated during the afternoon and evening, electricity consumers in affected areas may want to prepare for possible interruptions, particularly during peak-demand hours.
Households and businesses that depend on electricity for essential operations should keep backup power options ready where appropriate and monitor announcements from their local distribution utilities for specific outage schedules.
For now, the critical issue is not simply electricity demand—it is the shrinking cushion between available generation and the amount of power the grids need to operate safely.
And with both the Visayas and Mindanao grids entering red-alert periods on the same day, the coming peak hours could prove crucial for the country’s power system.
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