THE Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) have traded blame over delays in securing reserve power for the Visayas grid, which has recorded 44 red alerts and 115 yellow alerts so far this year.
A red alert means the power supply is insufficient to meet demand and the reserves needed to keep the grid stable, resulting in rotating power interruptions.
A yellow alert means electricity supply can meet demand, but reserves are below the required level, leaving the grid vulnerable if a power plant suddenly shuts down.
The DOE said Monday that NGCP failed to complete critical ancillary service contracts despite repeated directives to secure at least 250 megawatts of reserves.
Ancillary services help keep the grid stable and ensure electricity supply meets demand in real time.
DOE said it first directed NGCP to execute Ancillary Services Procurement Agreements (ASPAs) on May 22, followed by further directives on May 27, June 16, June 18, and Aug. 3.
NGCP’s failure to fully execute and file the agreements prompted DOE to issue a show-cause order on Aug. 13.
Despite repeated coordination, DOE said the required connections, testing, commissioning and agreements remained pending.
It also cited transmission constraints that limit the transfer of available power across the Visayas. It said it had repeatedly directed NGCP to accelerate critical transmission projects to address these bottlenecks.
Responding Wednesday, NGCP said there were not enough qualified facilities available to provide ancillary services.
The privately owned company said it continues to pursue additional agreements, but suppliers must undergo connection, commissioning and testing procedures to establish their technical capability.
Contracts cannot be completed for facilities that are not yet operational or whose ability to provide the required services has not been verified, NGCP added.
“There was no intention to delay the execution of these contracts,” NGCP explained, adding that timelines depend on suppliers’ availability and compliance with technical requirements.
NGCP said it also continues to carry out transmission projects to improve power transfers across the Visayas and remains committed to working with the DOE to improve grid reliability.
