The Luzon power grid was placed under a yellow alert from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, due to several power plants going offline.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said the alert was triggered after multiple plants became unavailable, including several liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired facilities that tripped, as well as a hydro plant that was also not operating. Among those affected were the Excellent Energy Resources Inc. plant, the Ilijan power plant, and the Magat hydro plant.
A yellow alert means electricity reserves are low, but power outages are not yet expected.
As of 5 p.m., NGCP reported available capacity in Luzon at 12,223 megawatts, slightly above peak demand of 11,966 megawatts. However, a total of 35 power plants were on forced outage, while 14 others were operating at reduced capacity, leaving about 5,137.2 megawatts unavailable.
This is the second yellow alert in the country this year, but the first in Luzon for 2026. The earlier alert was issued in the Visayas grid in January. The Visayas and Mindanao grids remained under normal conditions during Thursday’s alert.
In response, the Department of Energy (DOE) ordered power companies, including the LNGPH consortium and other stakeholders, to quickly restore affected plants. The DOE said it is closely monitoring the situation and working with grid operators to stabilize supply and prevent further disruption.
