DOE admits planning failure behind Visayas power shortage

The Department of Energy (DOE) has admitted that the Visayas lacks enough baseload generation to keep up with growing electricity demand, the cause of the region's recurring power alerts. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin made the admission at a joint hearing of the House committees on energy, Visayas development and legislative franchises in Bacolod City on October 3, Philstar and BusinessMirror reported.

"There hasn't been a new baseload capacity in Visayas for a long time," Garin said, according to GMA News, pointing to the planning side as the problem. She also said the grid goes on alert even when a single power plant is out, Philstar reported.

How big the gap is

The Visayas has 2,575 megawatts (MW) of available supply against afternoon demand of 2,624 MW, a 49-MW shortfall, according to BusinessMirror. The gap widens at night, increasing reliance on power from neighboring grids. The paper added that the Visayas is a net power importer, with generation capacity concentrated in Luzon and Mindanao.

Recent red alerts were caused by simultaneous forced outages at six power plants, with two more plant breakdowns in Mindanao adding strain, GMA News reported. Even with interventions completed by 2027, projections still show at least one red alert and 19 yellow alerts.

Both Philstar and BusinessMirror reported that the shortfall could persist until 2028.

Negros, Panay and Cebu

Negros produces excess electricity during the day, much of it from solar, but demand peaks in the evening when solar output falls, according to Philstar and BusinessMirror. Garin said Negros cannot survive on its own because there is not enough baseload. An outage in Panay could immediately affect Negros because the islands depend on their interconnection, Philstar reported.

In Cebu, electricity demand continues to outpace the delivery of new generation projects, both papers said.

Lawmakers' questions

Rep. Jose Alvarez of Palawan's 2nd District asked why the Visayas still faces power alerts despite grid interconnection. South Cotabato Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez said transmission is clearly not the issue, according to Philstar. ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio called it a failure in planning, Philstar and GMA News reported; Manila Bulletin headlined his criticism of the DOE's planning lapses.

Deputy Speaker and Bacolod City Rep. Albee Benitez asked whether the Visayas has the energy foundation to sustain the region's growth, BusinessMirror reported. Garin acknowledged that emergency powers could speed up the construction of power plants and transmission lines.

What happens next

The DOE identified battery energy storage systems as the immediate measure for the mismatch between daytime supply and evening demand. In May, the DOE asked the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to contract battery storage facilities, according to Philstar. Solar paired with battery storage is seen as a fast-track solution, and the DOE agreed to revisit the grid's ancillary services plan, GMA News reported. GMA added that the DOE formed teams last year to run 10-year simulations and is holding energy auctions to secure future supply. Daily Guardian also reported that the DOE is pushing solar batteries and power barges to curb outages in the Visayas.