The Visayas power grid is again facing tight electricity supply, with authorities placing it under red and yellow alert status on Thursday, July 9, according to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

In an 8 a.m. update, the NGCP said a red alert will be in effect from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., while yellow alert status will be raised from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Available capacity for the day was placed at 2,561 megawatts, slightly below the projected peak demand of 2,568 megawatts, signaling a shortfall during critical hours.

A red alert is declared when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the grid’s regulating requirements, while a yellow alert indicates that operating reserves are below the level needed to handle contingencies.

The NGCP said a total of 959.3 megawatts remains unavailable to the grid due to plant outages and derated capacities. Ten power plants are currently on forced outage this month alone, with additional outages dating back to previous months and years. Meanwhile, 14 plants are operating at reduced capacity.

Among the key factors cited for the alerts were the continued unavailability of major coal-fired plants TVI Units 1 and 2, the recent outage of the 135-megawatt Panay Coal-Fired Power Plant, and higher electricity demand.

Earlier, the Department of Energy (DOE) ordered a probe into recurring Visayas grid alerts and directed the NGCP and power firms to expedite restoration to stabilize supply.