Oil firms urged to fire up generators on Monday

Energy Secretary Jericho L. Petilla. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla on Friday called on oil companies to use their own generators for their operations at their gas stations, oil depots and similar facilities on Monday to ensure an adequate supply of electricity during the elections.

Petilla said that if the oil companies used their own generator sets on Monday, especially in Mindanao, this would “lessen the demand and increase the available power to the grid.”

“Most gasoline stations nationwide are equipped with standby generators,” Petilla noted.

He said that calling on the oil industry to ensure a sufficient power supply during the elections was an “additional contingency measure.”

“The DOE (Department of Energy) has expanded its call for the voluntary reduction in the use of power on May 13 to various sectors and industries. All initiatives for  [ensuring] a sufficient power supply are necessary for a successful and credible election,” Petilla said in a circular.

The DOE, he said, had directed members of Power Task Force Election 2013 to request power intensive industries to voluntarily reduce their operating hours from 12 p.m. of May 12 up to 12 p.m. of May 14.

Mall owners have already committed to cut their operating hours on Monday and to run their own generators during the day.

SM Supermalls pledged to do a voluntary load curtailment and use their own gensets during Election Day, while Robinsons Malls will reduce mall hours to reduce demand.  Ayala Malls will also use their own gensets during peak hours on Election Day, the DOE said.

There are normally three peak periods in a day: from 10 a.m. to noon; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m, and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The appeal to use gensets was meant to be an added measure, despite the expected power supply surplus across the three main grids.

Transmission operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines earlier reported that gross reserves in Luzon were expected to reach 2,074 megawatts on May 13, 530 MW in the Visayas, and 107 MW in Mindanao.

In Mindanao, Petilla warned that power may be cut to factories and plants that operate on Monday.

“If you run your factories and plants, we might disconnect you. That’s profit to some of you, but it’s of national interest to us. We will extend the full authority of the DOE to sanction those who will not cooperate, although based on the responses we got, they will cooperate,” Petilla said. “If you want to open your business, you have to use your own power.”