The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) have issued a formal directive to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), demanding a comprehensive explanation for the power supply disruptions that have plagued the Luzon and Visayas grids since Tuesday.
The move aims to hold the grid operator accountable for incidents that have left millions of consumers in the dark.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin emphasized that the investigation is a matter of public interest and sector accountability.
“The DOE is focused on ensuring stable power supply, protecting consumers, and enforcing accountability across the power sector. The public deserves a full and transparent accounting of the incidents that led to these grid alerts, and we are requiring NGCP to comply fully with all reportorial and regulatory obligations.”
Technical teams from the DOE are currently conducting independent assessments of power generation units and transmission facilities. This review will determine if the NGCP and various generation companies adhered to mandatory dispatch instructions and restoration timelines during the crisis.
ERC Chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan personally inspected the System Operations Command Center to oversee the network’s condition, asserting that the commission’s findings must be rooted in technical data.
“Visiting the System Operations Command Center enabled us to closely observe the situation and ensure that the commission bases its actions on verified information rather than assumptions.”
The crisis reached a peak on Thursday when both major grids were placed under red alert status. In Luzon, available capacity fell to 12,464 MW against a peak demand of 12,877 MW.
Similarly, the Visayas grid struggled with a capacity of 2,377 MW against a 2,552 MW demand, exacerbated by a series of forced outages across multiple power plants.