DOE Confident in Power Reserves for the Next 6 Months, Prepares for Surge in Demand During Dry Season

The Department of Energy (DOE) has affirmed that the country’s power reserves are sufficient for the next six months, particularly due to cool weather. However, it also expressed that this may no longer hold true as energy demands rise in the summer months. Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla disclosed this concern during the organizational meeting of the Senate Committee on Energy.

“Right now we have enough reserves for the next six months, the cooler months.  Though hopefully no major breakdowns of plants,” Lotilla explained. “But during the summer months, I have to tell you that I’m beginning to have concerns about that.” Nonetheless, the DOE has committed to addressing unutilized capacity or stranded power in an effort to abate the expected surge in energy demands. Transmission constraints are often the primary cause of stranded power.

“Thankfully right now, we are going into the cooler months. And my rule of thumb is for every one-degree centigrade difference, it’s an additional or deduction of 100 megawatts. So as we go into the cooler months, our reserves also go higher,” Lotilla maintained. “On the red alerts and yellow alerts, it’s actually the price rather than supply that has been accounting for the alerts, because there’s a secondary price caps that the Energy Regulatory Commission imposed.”

In this light, Lotilla urged for more investments in alternative sources of energy such as solar and wind. He notes that the country’s shift to hybrid systems will prove to serve as a long-term solution. Moreover, it moves the Philippines away from its overdependence on petroleum and petroleum-based fuels which experience price volatility.

“Because of the particular generation mix that we have, there is no, shall we call it, magic wand to change things overnight. But the hard work must start now,” admitted the Energy Secretary. Lotilla also commented on the use of nuclear energy, highlighting the need for regulatory and policy framework before considering the technology.

“We’ve always taken the position that we should not ban technologies, but we should set standards. The Philippines has been the earliest supporter of the peaceful uses of nuclear power,” he elaborated. The exploration of a regional approach toward nuclear power plants has also been suggested. “We can come together, develop standards together, train people together, and in case of emergencies, we can pull our resources together. Down to the disposal of the nuclear waste, which is many decades down the line but we have to take a look at the full lifecycle of the technology.”

Source: PhilStar