The Department of Energy (DOE) directed the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to explain recent transmission line failures that triggered rotational brownouts across Luzon.
In a statement released Friday, the DOE said it has mobilized its Grid Reliability Task Force to conduct a full investigation into the May 13 tripping of the 500-kilovolt Tayabas–Ilijan and Ilijan–Dasmariñas transmission lines, which form part of the country’s critical power transmission backbone.
"These transmission failures had real consequences on grid stability and placed millions of consumers at risk. The public deserves full and immediate transparency from NGCP. The DOE will ensure that all operational, reportorial, and regulatory obligations are strictly enforced in protection of consumers," Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said.
The agency said the incident resulted in the loss of around 2,462 megawatts of natural gas capacity from the Luzon grid and disrupted power transfer between Luzon and the Visayas during a period of tight supply conditions. The DOE noted that roughly 12% of Luzon’s power supply was affected when the two major transmission lines went offline.
Garin described the situation as unacceptable, stressing that the disruptions had serious consequences on grid stability and consumer welfare.
“Libo-libong Pilipino sa Luzon ang naapektuhan ng mga aberyang nagmula sa Ilijan transmission disruptions at hindi po ito katanggap-tanggap,” Garin said.
Karapatan ng publiko na malaman kung ano talaga ang nangyari at bakit hindi ito agad nai-report sa mga kinauukulang ahensya,” she added.
The DOE further said that it is coordinating with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to require comprehensive reports from NGCP regarding the incident and its underlying causes.
“An incident of this scale demands full technical disclosure, clear accountability, and immediate corrective action,” she added.
Earlier, NGCP reported that rotational brownouts may continue following a red alert status declared over the Luzon Grid, with a similar alert also raised in the Visayas Grid due to insufficient power supply relative to demand.
The NGCP also placed the Luzon Grid under red alert on May 14, indicating that available operating reserves were not enough to meet consumer demand. The Visayas Grid remained under red alert until the evening of May 15.
The DOE has also called on government offices to implement energy conservation measures amid the ongoing tight supply situation, as investigations into the transmission disruptions continue.
