The Department of Energy (DOE) has ordered companies operating 25 power plants that were forced to shut down and 8 more derated capacity in the Visayas and Mindanao to repair and restore their facilities to normal operations.
The order is aimed at stabilizing power supply in the two regions, which have been placed on yellow alert status several times due to low power reserves.
In the Visayas, this is the third time this month, specifically from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Based on the DOE report, 14 plants in the Visayas are currently in forced outage, while 5 are derated, and in Mindanao, 11 plants are in forced outage and 3 are derated.
Therefore, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has tasked Undersecretary Mario Marasigan to lead the coordination of affected power companies and ensure the rapid return of plants to operation.
The DOE also urged private distribution utilities to prepare for the possible activation of the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) — a measure in which businesses with their own power sources are encouraged to use their own electricity first to reduce grid demand.
In addition, the DOE also called on the public and commercial and residential establishments to conserve electricity especially during peak hours.
