The Secretary of Energy and the Chairman of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) have been conducting on-the-spot inspections of power plants across Luzon and Visayas following recent yellow and red alerts issued by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. The alerts signal thin power reserves and potential rotating blackouts, prompting the government to verify actual plant availability.
The inspections aim to determine whether power plants are genuinely running at their declared capacity or if forced outages are being exaggerated. Energy officials have expressed frustration with repeated plant shutdowns during peak demand, which strain the grid and disrupt businesses and households.
Meanwhile, a separate congressional hearing is underway to examine the same issue, with lawmakers questioning plant operators and regulators about the root causes of the repeated alerts. The House committee is expected to propose legislative measures to improve grid reliability and penalize non-performing plants. Philstar Biz reported the developments.