The Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday gave assurance that power generation throughout the year should prove sufficient to meet demand even with the onset of the El Niño weather disruptions.
Nevertheless, the DOE said while there remains basis for taking an optimistic outlook, the DOE called on all Filipinos to practice energy conservation and efficient use of electricity.
According to Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, the various dams continue to hold adequate water levels although some of the hydroelectric facilities have been told to limit their use because the agriculture sector has had an increased need for irrigation.
“We’re monitoring closely the rate at which irrigation is also depleting the volume for power use,” Lotilla told reporters at the sidelines of the business-to-business matching event he hosted in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development in Taguig on Thursday.
Lotilla said that with the natural gas power plants and terminals and their reception facilities now in place, the power supply situation is “actually better able now to cope with the El Niño than before.”
At the same event, Energy undersecretary Rowena Guevara also ruled out the issuance of yellow or red alerts in the months ahead, saying there remains sufficient generation of power the rest of the year.
Yellow alerts signify low levels of power reserves while red alerts indicate insufficient supply with power interruptions imminent.
Guevarra explained their continued optimism is based on forecast supply of power and expected consumption by businesses and households and reiterated the DOE counts on the consuming public to be wise in their energy consumption.
“We have forecast consumption but if (consumers) go beyond the forecast, of course, we will have a problem. That’s why we are saying, let us keep conserving energy,” Guevara said.
