UMVA has learned that two critical power plants, long silent in the grid, are poised to roar back to life this month and into early July.
According to information obtained by UMVA, KEPCO SPC Power Corp. Unit 2 will resume operations on June 2, while Unit 3 of the Panay Energy Development Corp. facility is slated to restart by July 3.
Therma Visayas, Inc.’s Units 1 and 2 are on a similar trajectory, with a projected operational date set for August.
The prolonged silence of these Visayan plants has been the spark behind the region’s 17 yellow alerts last month, a signal that the power reserve margin is dangerously thin.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the National Grid issued a yellow alert on Monday as the gap between available power and projected demand narrowed alarmingly.
“Our main concern as far as the grid system is concerned is the Visayas,” the briefing highlighted, noting that the actual supply is well below peak capacity.
Presently, electricity demand stands at 2,700 megawatts, outstripping the 2,044 megawatts of supply and forcing the Visayas grid to import power from other regions.
The link between the Mindanao and Visayas grids is operating at its full transfer capacity of 450 megawatts, a crucial lifeline under current strain.
Meanwhile, the Luzon grid remains robust, with supply at 16,614 megawatts against a demand of 14,534 megawatts, maintaining a reserve of over 2,000 megawatts.
However, hydropower generation in Luzon has suffered from below‑normal water levels in key reservoirs, a challenge that will test the resilience of the national grid.
