Gatchalian seeks to resolve energy crisis amid continuing red, yellow alerts

Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking a Senate inquiry into the persistent red and yellow alerts attributed to the insufficiency of energy supply available to the grid amid hotter-than-usual weather conditions in the country caused by the El Niño weather aberration.

"The persistent problem of insufficient electricity supply suffered by Filipinos requires a comprehensive solution from all electric power industry participants," the Senator emphasized as he filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 1018.

The vice-chairperson of the Senate Committee on Energy emphasized that the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), as the primary regulators of the electric power industry, should spearhead concrete actions to be taken by all stakeholders to address the insufficiency of supply with short, medium, and long-term solutions.

Such solutions should include measures to ensure that generation companies comply with the highest standards, practices, methods, and procedures generally followed or approved in the electric power industries including ERC's reliability index, Gatchalian said. Solutions could also integrate full implementation of Republic Act 11258, also known as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, including demand side management, he stressed.

Gatchalian noted that since April 16, yellow alert warnings for 48 interval hours and red alert warnings for at least 34 interval hours have been issued by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), indicating either thinning reserves or insufficient power supply against grid demand.

The issuance of such alert warnings has been caused by forced outages of at least 44 generation units, 21 of which are hydropower plants that have been out of operation due to low water levels caused by El Niño. Also, at least 14 generation units across the country were operating at derated capacities due to low water supply, poor coal quality, and gas supply issues.

Both conditions led to a loss of more than 2000 megawatts (MW) of power, causing power interruption in at least 12 franchise areas as well as a 35% increase in the average price of electricity on the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) in the Luzon grid, rising to P8.51 per kilowatt hour (kWh) from 6.30 kWh in the previous week. The average WESM price in the Visayas grid also increased by 13% to P9.02 kWh from P7.98 kWh in the previous week, he said.

"The effect of El Niño is not something new to us. We shouldn't settle for knee-jerk solutions every time we have a spike in demand due to weather-related disturbances," he added.

Lutasin ang krisis sa enerhiya sa gitna ng patuloy na red at yellow alerts—Gatchalian

Nais ni Senador Win Gatchalian na imbestigahan ang patuloy na red at yellow alerts kaugnay sa kakulangan ng suplay ng enerhiya na maaring gamitin ng grid sa gitna ng mas mainit na panahon dulot ng El Niño.

"Ang patuloy na problema ng kakulangan sa suplay ng kuryente na dinaranas ng mga Pilipino ay nangangailangan ng komprehensibong solusyon mula sa lahat ng kalahok sa industriya ng kuryente," ang sabi ng Senador kasunod ng inihain niyang Proposed Senate Resolution No. 1018.

Binigyang-diin ng vice chairperson ng Senate Committee on Energy na ang Department of Energy (DOE) at Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), bilang mga pangunahing regulator ng electric power industry, ay dapat manguna sa mga konkretong aksyon na dapat gawin ng lahat ng stakeholder upang matugunan ang kakulangan sa suplay para sa short, medium at long-term na mga solusyon.

Ang mga naturang solusyon ay dapat magsama ng mga hakbang upang matiyak na ang mga generation companies ay sumusunod sa pinakamataas na pamantayan, kasanayan, at pamamaraan na karaniwang sinusunod o aprubado ng mga industriya ng kuryente kabilang ang reliability index ng ERC, sabi ni Gatchalian.

Maaari ring isama sa mga solusyon ang pagpapatupad ng Republic Act 11258, o ang Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, giit niya.

Ani Gatchalian, mula noong Abril 16, ang mga babala ng yellow alert para sa 48 interval hours at mga babala ng red alert para sa 34 interval hours ay inilabas ng National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), na nagpapahiwatig ng pagnipis ng mga reserba o hindi sapat na suplay ng kuryente kumpara sa demand ng grid.

Ang pagpapalabas ng mga naturang alert warning ay sanhi ng forced outages ng 44 generation units, 21 dito ay hydropower plants na hindi na gumagana dahil sa mababang lebel ng tubig dulot ng El Niño. Mayroon ding 14 na generation unit sa buong bansa ang pinapatakbo ng may mas mababang kapasidad dahil sa mababang suplay ng tubig, mahinang kalidad ng coal, at mga isyu sa suplay ng gas.

Ang mga kondisyong ito ay humantong sa pagkawala ng higit sa 2000 megawatts (MW) na kuryente, na nagdulot ng power interruption sa 12 franchise areas pati na rin ang 35% na pagtaas sa average na presyo ng kuryente sa Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) sa Luzon grid, na tumaas sa P8.51 kada kilowatt hour (kWh) mula sa 6.30 kWh noong nakaraang linggo. Ang average na presyo naman ng WESM sa Visayas grid ay tumaas ng 13% sa P9.02 kWh mula sa P7.98 kWh noong nakaraang linggo, aniya.

"Hindi na bago sa atin ang epekto ng El Niño. Hindi tayo dapat magtiis lamang sa mga ura-uradang solusyon tuwing magkakaroon tayo ng pagtaas sa demand dahil sa problem na dulot ng paiba-ibang panahon," pagtatapos ng senador.