CAGAYAN de Oro city — The Mindanao power grid was placed under Yellow Alert from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, September 7, as the grid operated with a slim reserve during the evening peak period.
The latest advisory was announced by Mae Roselle Lopez-Curiano, NGCP regional corporate communications officer based in Cagayan de Oro City.
As of 6 p.m., the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reported an available capacity of 2,643 megawatts (MW) against a peak demand of 2,551 MW, leaving about 92 MW of available margin.
NGCP attributed the Yellow Alert to three developments that reduced the grid's available generating capacity:
the emergency shutdown of TM2 Unit 1 at 2:55 p.m.;
the tripping of GNPK 3 at 4:02 p.m.; and
the decrease in available generating capacity from diesel and hydroelectric plants.
What does the Yellow Alert mean for consumers?
A Yellow Alert does not automatically mean that brownouts are occurring.
It means the grid has enough capacity to meet current demand, but its operating margin has fallen below the level required as a contingency reserve.
NGCP uses a Yellow Alert when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid's contingency requirement.
For consumers, the alert is a warning that the power system has less room to absorb another unexpected plant shutdown or a sudden increase in electricity demand.
The situation can become more serious if available generation drops further while demand remains high.
The latest alert comes after several Yellow and Red Alert declarations affecting the Mindanao grid in recent days, reflecting continuing pressure on the island's power supply amid plant outages, reduced generation and strong demand.
Consumers are encouraged to use electricity efficiently, particularly during peak hours, while continuing to monitor NGCP and their local distribution utilities for updates on the grid status and any possible power interruptions.
