DOE braces for worst as La Niña looms

MANILA, Philippines — Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said his agency is already preparing for the potential impact of the La Niña weather disturbance on power lines due to the expected severe typhoons.

“Because if the rains are too heavy, the power lines, especially in the areas hit by heavy rains, are interrupted. So we have to prepare for contingencies,” Lotilla said in a recent interview.

He said the Department of Energy is hoping that the reserve market will come online within the next two months to allow diesel and bunker fuel power plants to run and mitigate possible power interruptions.

Earlier this year, the Energy Regulatory Commission, the power regulator, ordered the suspension of the settlement amounts in the reserve market following significant price increases in transmission charges.

“We should hope for the best, which means the least interruptions, and yet prepare ourselves for the worst,” Lotilla said.

The secretary said they will ensure that all dams are replenished before the onset of La Niña for hydropower plants to start operating.

La Niña is characterized by unusually cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. This is opposite to El Niño, which causes unusually warmer than normal SSTs.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration, the country is now in the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral phase, which means neither El Niño nor La Niña.

The transition from ENSO-neutral to La Niña conditions is likely within the next three months, the state weather bureau also said.

President Marcos last month assured the public that his administration is doing everything to prepare for La Niña, reminding local government units to stand ready for the effects of the weather pattern.