Marcos orders gov’t offices to lead in energy conservation efforts

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday ordered government offices to minimize power consumption after several power plants either stopped supplying electricity or operated at reduced capacity. 

In a post on X, Marcos directed government agencies to “set the standard” in conserving energy.

“At this time, it is crucial that we all work together to ensure a stable power supply for the next couple of days,” the president said after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placed the Luzon grid on red and yellow alerts, and the Visayas grid on yellow alert. 

“Let’s adopt energy-efficient practices and stand together to overcome this challenge,” he added. 

Marcos also ordered the Department of Energy to closely monitor and coordinate with stakeholders to address the power supply situation. 

A red alert is issued when power supply is insufficient to meet both consumer demand and the grid’s regulating requirement. 

Meanwhile, a yellow alert is raised when the operating margin is not enough to meet the grid’s contingency requirement.

Think tank Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) said in a report released on Tuesday that the Luzon grid is expected to face a tight power supply in May, especially between May 13 and 26. This could lead to yellow alerts, as El Niño threatens the country's power sufficiency. 

“Any unplanned outages may further deplete operating reserve levels and affect the grid’s reliability,” said Jephraim Manansala, ICSC’s chief data scientist and co-author of the report. 

“The timely delivery of committed power projects and their expedited testing and commissioning are necessary steps that can enhance the power supply situation,” Manansala added.