There will be no power interruption in Mindanao on election day on May 13 as the Department of Energy is coordinating with the distribution utilities and electric cooperatives all over the island.
“We already wrote to the DUs (distribution utilities) to be vigilant and to come up with their respective contingency plans in their franchise areas,” Nilo Geroche, DOE XI energy industry management chief, said during the Habi & Kape forum at Abreeza Mall on Wednesday.
“We have noted that the NEA, as the direct supervising agency, has already mandated the electric cooperatives (ECs) also to come up with the election preparedness contingency plan,” he added.
Geroche said DUs and ECs are mandated to deploy their technical personnel in their respective areas of jurisdiction as part of the Energy Task Force created by the central office to ensure that they can act immediately in case of any “untoward incidence.”
Meanwhile, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has been conducting annual blackout simulations “in order for the electric cooperatives to be prepared during a sudden electric power interruption.”
As reported by the NGCP, Mindanao recorded the highest peak demand of electricity with 1,935 megawatts last May 6, 2019. Last year, the highest demand in Mindanao is only 1,850 megawatts.
However, during election, Geroche said the demand for electricity in Mindanao will not reach the highest peak demand recorded in May since the election day is declared a holiday.
