DOE acts to ensure power supply in Visayas

The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a circular enjoining all its attached agencies and industry stakeholders to adopt and implement contingency measures to ensure adequate and reliable electric power supply in the Visayas grid.

The DOE said this is in response to an impending power shortage in the Visayas particularly in Cebu, Negros, Panay and Bohol.

The DOE noted that the current power situation in the Visayas grid has demonstrated the need for additional capacity as certified by the system operator (SO) of the National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) to meet the increasing demand and have some left for reserve.

The energy department said new generating plants are expected to come on stream by 2010 and 2011.

“The availability and adequacy of electricity in the Visayas grid at this time is vested with public interest such that it is incumbent upon the government to take necessary measures to ensure the continuous operation of vital industries in the region by ensuring that there will be no interruptions in the delivery of electricity,” the DOE said.

Specifically, the DOE has tasked the National Power Corp. (Napocor) to secure oil-based power plants/independent power producers (IPPs) to meet the average required 30-day fuel oil investories/supply.

All coal-fired power plants, the DOE said, should maintain a 45-day inventory.

The DOE has directed TransCo/NGCP to implement maintenance procedures on major transmission lines and substation equipment during weekends.

TransCo/NGCP will also be asked to update its manual load dropping schedule.

The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), meanwhile, is directed to continue its privatization program.

The National Electrification Administration (NEA), the DOE said, should assist electric cooperatives in the promotion of energy conservation measures.

Philippine Electricity Market Corp. (PEMC), for its part, will have to continue with its preparations for the possible launch of the commencement of the commercial operations of WESM in the Viasyas.

Distribution utilities and ECs, as industry players, should assume full responsibility to forecast, assure and contract for the supply of electric power in their franchise areas to meet their obligations as Du.

The DOE also directed the DUs to limit their actual demand to their contracted demand/load, particularly during peak hours.

The energy department also introduced the supply augmentation program that would help in meeting the power requirement of the said province.

The newly-created department in the DOE, Renewable Energy Development, on the other hand, is directed to assess the maximum contribution of RE resources for power generation to the Visayas grid.