Power Supply Crunch: Luzon Placed Under Red Alert for Four Hours

Today, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) issued a red alert for the Luzon grid, indicating severe power shortages across the region. The alert was in effect from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and extended again from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., signaling an urgent need for energy conservation and possible power interruptions.

During the intervals of red alert, a yellow alert was also issued, lasting from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to midnight, reflecting slightly less critical conditions but still underscoring a precarious balance between power supply and demand.

The red alert status is declared when there is not enough power supply to meet the consumer demand plus the transmission grid’s regulating requirements, which can lead to rolling blackouts. Conversely, a yellow alert means that while power supply is low, it is still above the threshold where power cuts become necessary, although the situation remains critical.

Today’s power situation was strained further by automatic load dropping incidents in parts of La Union, Tarlac, and Camarines Sur, where power was temporarily cut off due to the insufficient supply but was restored after 15 minutes. Additionally, manual load dropping (MLD), or rotating power interruptions, were implemented in parts of Isabela and Pampanga to manage the limited power availability.

The Luzon grid’s total available capacity stood at 12,832 megawatts, with the demand peaking at 12,671 MW, illustrating a thin margin between available power and consumer needs. These alerts highlight the ongoing challenges faced by the power sector in ensuring stability and reliability in the grid, particularly during peak usage periods.

This situation calls for immediate attention from both the authorities and the consumers to mitigate the impact of power shortages and to improve the grid’s capacity to handle peak demands without disrupting daily activities.