Gov. Pam meeting energy players

CEBU, Philippines — As power shortages continue to trigger rotational brownouts across Cebu, Governor Pamela Baricuatro is bringing energy players to the table on Friday, September 4, in a bid to find immediate and long-term solutions to the province’s growing power concerns.

Baricuatro said addressing Cebu’s energy situation has been among the concerns she raised since assuming office, particularly as the province seeks to attract more investments, expand industries and generate more jobs.

The governor has called for a meeting with power suppliers and key energy stakeholders, including the Department of Energy (DOE), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Visayan Electric, Cebu Electric Cooperative (CEBECO) and other concerned players.

The meeting is intended to give the provincial government a clearer picture of the current power situation, identify gaps in the system and determine measures that can be undertaken both immediately and over the long term.

Baricuatro said Cebu needs to begin a broader discussion on how it can secure its energy requirements as the province continues to develop.

She added that a Cebu Energy Summit is scheduled on October 7, bringing together representatives from the energy sector, government, business, investors and other stakeholders to discuss Cebu’s energy future.

“From the time I assumed office, one of the concerns I immediately raised was Cebu’s power supply: Do we have enough energy to support the kind of growth we are planning for Cebu?” read a portion of the governor's social media post.

Her remarks came as distribution utilities continue to implement rotational brownouts following warnings from the NGCP of limited power generation and the absence of power imports from Mindanao.

On September 3, the Visayas grid was placed under Red Alert from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

A Yellow Alert, meanwhile, was in effect from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

NGCP said the situation was caused by the outage of two large coal-fired power plants—Therma Visayas Inc. Unit 1 and Panay Energy Development Corporation Unit 3. The grid operator also reported that there were no power imports from Mindanao.

Rotational Brownouts

Amid the tight supply, possible rotational brownouts of up to 2.5 hours may be implemented in selected areas from September 3 to 6, particularly during periods of high electricity demand.

The revised schedule covers portions of Cebu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, Consolacion, Liloan, Minglanilla, the City of Naga and San Fernando, among other areas identified by the distribution utility.

The interruptions are intended to help manage available electricity and maintain the stability of the power grid amid the supply shortage. Their implementation will depend on prevailing grid conditions and instructions from the NGCP.

The distribution utility said it continues to monitor the situation and coordinate with the NGCP. Any changes in the schedule, timing or affected areas will be announced through its official communication channels.

The latest situation has renewed attention on Cebu’s need for additional and more dependable sources of electricity, particularly as the province continues to pursue economic growth.

“We want more investments. We want industries to expand. We want more businesses and more jobs for Cebuanos,” Baricuatro said.

“But none of these can happen sustainably if our energy supply cannot keep pace with our growth,” she added.

Push for more power sources

Baricuatro said the provincial government has been working to help advance projects that could increase Cebu’s power supply, particularly renewable energy developments that have long been under consideration.

Among the projects she cited was the Acciona solar farm in Daanbantayan, which the Capitol has worked to facilitate.

She also pointed to the Alternergy wind energy project and the oil and gas exploration in Alegria, which could potentially be developed into an energy source.

“That is why one of my priorities has been to help move forward projects that can bring additional power into Cebu, particularly renewable energy projects that had long been on the table,” the governor noted.

The governor acknowledged that the provincial government does not directly control electricity generation, transmission and distribution, but said the Capitol still has a role in bringing concerned agencies and industry players together.

Baricuatro said the Provincial Government itself operates only one power plant, located in Malapascua, underscoring the Capitol’s limited direct role in power generation.

“We assure the Cebuano people that we will continue to push for a more reliable, sufficient, and sustainable energy supply for Cebu,” the governor said.- FPL (CEBU NEWS)