POWER rates in February eased slightly by P0.06 at P3.50 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from P3.56 in January, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (Iemop) said on Sunday.
This will be reflected in the March billing period for consumers.
Improved supply conditions in Luzon helped stabilize overall market outcomes despite tighter supply conditions in other regions, Iemop corporate planning and communications manager Arjon Valencia said in a statement.
“Across the three grids, average available power supply increased to 19,992 megawatts (MW) in February, representing a 4.4-percent increase from January. Electricity demand also increased, but at a slower pace, reaching 12,874 megawatts, or 3.1 percent higher than the previous month,” Valencia said.
Among the three main island groups, Luzon’s average supply of 14,286 MW in February was higher than the 13,228 MW in January, as several power plants resumed service after planned maintenance and outages.
Demand was also up at 9,016 MW compared to 8,574 MW the previous month.
In the Visayas, its 2,256 MW supply in February was lower than the 2,361 MW in January due to more outages and variations in electricity transfers between the three island groups.
Demand at 1,829 MW was a slight drop from 1,861 MW the previous month.
Under normal conditions, the Visayas grid gets additional supply from Luzon through the Leyte-Luzon transmission interconnection. But in February, the link frequently operated near its limit.
In Mindanao, supply was likewise lower at 3,449 MW from 3,563 MW posted in January for similar reasons — more plant outages and variations in electricity transfers in the Mindanao-Visayas interconnection.
Demand was also lower at 2,028 MW in February than the 2,056 MW in January.