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High voltage towers that support transmission lines for electrical power distribution in the Luzon grid is seen from a residential area in Baesa, Quezon City on Tuesday, May 9 2023. The National Grid Corporation declared a red alert status on the Luzon grid on Monday, raising the possibility of power shortage or brownouts in some provinces. The NGCP also said that three power plants are “running on derated capacities” and other five are “on forced outage”. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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ELECTRICITY-GRID

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171567485328120230509-trasmission tower-QC-MT-2023-2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">High voltage towers that support transmission lines for electrical power distribution in the Luzon grid are seen from a residential area in Baesa, Quezon City on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Senators on Tuesday criticized the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and Department of Energy (DOE) for not physically inspecting power plants to ensure that these are in good condition.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/4/1/ph-has-enough-power-supply-amid-el-ni-o-doe-1709">READ: PH has enough power supply amid El Niño: DOE</a></div><p>This comes after recent outages such as the 19 units in Luzon which shut down from April 16 to 22.</p><p>According to ERC Director Sharon Montaner, they do &quot;desk maintenance&quot; wherein the agency requires power plants to submit their reports, a process that Sen. Chiz Escudero questioned.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/4/25/power-situation-now-a-calamity-says-doe-1554">READ: Power situation now a &#x27;calamity&#x27; says DOE</a></div><p>“They (plants) will say everything is good and dandy,” Escudero said. “You are dependent on their submission. Wala kayong kamuwang-muwang (You do not have any idea).” </p><p>Montaner acknowledged Escudero’s point saying they don&#x27;t have enough staff.</p><p>Energy Undersecretary Cristina Guevarra also answered in the negative when asked if DOE sends personnel to inspect power plants.</p><p>Asked by Committee on Energy Chairman Sen. Raffy Tulfo how often the inspection on plants is, Montaner said the first inspection happens during the application for a Certificate of Compliance. The next will be during the halfway mark of the contract.</p><p>Montaner admitted that ideally, inspections must be done once a year.</p><p>“Kaya tayo diyan may problema,” Tulfo said. “‘Di niyo ginagawa ang trabaho niyo diyan sa ERC,&quot; Tulfo said.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/21/doe-rules-out-sabotage-in-power-plants-failures-2204">READ: DOE rules out sabotage in power plants&#x27; failures</a> </div><p>(That’s why we have a problem. You are not doing in the ERC) </p><p>“Next time po kapag may planta nag-bog down, nasira dahil sa poor maintenance, dapat hindi lang planta ang masa-sanction kundi kayo sa ERC dahil hindi ginagawa ang trabaho.”</p><p>(Next time when a plant bogs down or breaks down because of poor maintenance, the sanction should not only be on the plant but also on the ERC because you are not doing your job.)</p><p>Escudero also dismissed Guevarra&#x27;s explanation that the power shortage was due to the intense heat caused by the El Niño phenomenon. </p><p>He noted that even before this year’s El Niño, several outages already happened from 2020 to 2023 including 2,081 unplanned outages in Visayas.</p><p>“Since 2020 halos 10 percent lang ang planned (outages), 90 percent unplanned. Then there must be something wrong,” Escudero said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>MORE POWER PLANTS</strong></div><p>Escudero meanwhile pushed for the construction of more power plants and asked DOE and ERC why they were slow in approving applications.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/24/doe-luzon-grid-might-experience-yellow-alert-in-april-may-1657">READ: DOE: Luzon grid might experience &#x27;Yellow Alert&#x27; in April, May</a></div><p>“One of the main reasons why we suffered these red and yellow alerts is because the supposed power plants that are going to be online, ranging between 1,800 to 2,250 megawatts are supposed to be online late this year or early next year. Kung pumasok yan on time, di tayo magre-red alert (If these came in on time, we won’t have red alert),” Escudero said.</p><p>“Bakit ang bagal ninyong mag-approve ng mga bagong plantang ginagawa? Bakit ba ninyo pinipigilan yung pag-apruba ng mga bagong application ng planta? Bakit ba ineeksakto niyo lang sa pangangailangan?” he added.</p><p>(Why are you slow in approving new plants? Why are you preventing the approval of application of plants? Why do you limit it to just what is needed?)</p><p>DOE Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan conceded that a change is needed, “We believe there is a need to review our policies pertaining to the reserves particularly that there is the energy transition program.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FcYAgSGJvGo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

Senators question DOE, ERC for not properly inspecting power plants

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Senators question DOE, ERC for not properly inspecting power plants

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 14, 2024 04:51 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

power plant

outage

electricity

doe

erc

power supply

ANC

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