RELIEF STILL YEARS AWAY: Panay, Negros to get 1,060 MW new power by 2031

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

ILOILO CITY – A total of 1,060 megawatts of additional capacity is in the pipeline for Panay and Negros from 2028 to 2031, capacity the Department of Energy said should have been planned and built years earlier.

The DOE said Monday, Sept. 7, that the Panay-Negros pipeline covers 690 MW of baseload capacity and 370 MW of renewable energy capacity over that period.

The baseload pipeline consists of 135 MW in 2028, 270 MW in 2029, 150 MW in 2030, and a further 135 MW in 2031.

On the renewable side, 100 MW is expected in 2028, followed by 270 MW in 2029.

Separate from the Panay-Negros pipeline, the DOE listed additional capacity for Cebu and Bohol.

That includes 150 MW of new baseload capacity in 2028 and 107 MW in 2029.

It also includes 470 MW of renewable energy capacity in 2028 and another 60 MW in 2029.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the capacity now being planned should have been in place much earlier.

“The forecasts, investments, and additional capacity we need today should have been planned and put in place years ago,” she said.

“What we can do now is act with urgency: stabilize the Visayas grid, strengthen long-overdue oversight and accountability of our power plants and grid operator, and move the projects already in the pipeline,” she added.

Garin’s statement comes as the Visayas grid has experienced recurring rotational brownouts since August, driven by forced outages and unscheduled tripping of several generating units that have left the system with thin reserves.

The grid has repeatedly been placed under red and yellow alerts in recent weeks as several units remained unavailable. A yellow alert signals that operating reserves have fallen below the required level, while a red alert indicates a supply deficiency that can trigger rotational outages.

On Aug. 28, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines reported available capacity of 2,307 MW against projected peak demand of about 2,402 MW.

Panay carries a particular sensitivity to grid failures after the island-wide blackout of January 2024, which cut power to Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, and Guimaras for several days.

Five power plants back online in September

The DOE said the 82-MW Cebu Energy Development Corp. Unit 1 in Cebu returned to service on Sept. 5.

Four other generating units are scheduled to return this month.

Therma Visayas Unit 1, with 169 MW, is due back by Sept. 15.

In Mindanao, Therma South Inc. Unit 2 in Davao, with 150 MW, is scheduled to return by Sept. 8; Therma South Unit 1, also with 150 MW, by Sept. 19; and GN Power Kauswagan Unit 2 in Lanao del Norte, with 103 MW, by Sept. 20.

The DOE said it is coordinating the return of the Mindanao-based units because they can support the Visayas through the interconnected grid, which allows surplus capacity in one region to serve demand in another.

Panay Energy Development Corp. Unit 3 in Iloilo City, with 150 MW, is targeted to return by Oct. 3.

Alongside restoring capacity, the DOE said it is strengthening its review of generating facilities with recurring forced outages to determine the causes of repeated plant failures and whether the facilities have been properly maintained.

DOE field offices have been deployed to inspect and investigate affected power plants, and the agency is auditing compliance with maintenance schedules following its issuance of the Generation Company Accountability circular in February.

Garin said the agency will require corrective action plans where necessary, issue show-cause orders where warranted, and pursue sanctions when violations are established.

“When a power plant repeatedly breaks down, we cannot keep giving the same answer that it simply ‘tripped.’ We need to know why it happened, and we need the underlying problem corrected,” she said.

Battery storage across Visayas

The DOE is also working with power companies to deploy 253 MW of battery energy storage across Cebu, Panay, Leyte, and Negros, with some facilities already prepared to provide immediate support to the Visayas grid.

The battery storage is expected to provide fast-response support when a generating unit suddenly trips or supply becomes tight, helping stabilize the grid while the system adjusts.

To ensure that backup capacity is available when needed, the DOE has directed NGCP to execute the outstanding ancillary services contracts required by the Visayas grid, including battery capacity.

A show-cause order was issued to NGCP in August over delays in carrying out these directives, the DOE said.

The agency is also assessing transmission constraints across the Visayas, including the Leyte-Samar corridor, to determine which issues can be addressed immediately and what infrastructure needs to be strengthened.

Interim measures, including power barges and generator sets, are also being considered to provide additional electricity where needed.

The DOE’s actions come amid sustained capacity shortages in the Visayas, where NGCP has reported multiple forced outages and derated power plants, with the grid losing hundreds of megawatts of available capacity during recent alert periods.

“Ensuring sufficient and reliable electricity for the Visayas is the DOE’s priority. We are working to stabilize the situation as quickly as possible, and we expect every power plant and every part of the grid to do its part,” Garin said.