DOE budget backer Gatchalian: PH ‘will not experience brownouts for 2024’

FILE PHOTO: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. Albert Calvelo/Senate PRIB

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) is not seeing “any probability” of power outages in 2024, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Tuesday as the upper chamber resumes plenary debates on the 2024 national budget.

Gatchalian took the floor and made the remark as he sponsored the proposed P2.59 billion spending plan of DOE next year.

During interpellations, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III asked Gatchalian if there would be expected brownouts in 2024, considering the country’s demand for energy.

“For 2024, we don’t see any probability of brownouts or load dropping in Luzon. For the Visayas, it’s also the same. In short, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will not experience brownouts for 2024,” Gatchalian said.

The DOE budget sponsor explained that the installed capacities for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are 19,757 megawatts (MW), 3,972 MW, and 4,570 MW, respectively.

But regarding dependable capacity – considering maintenance, for instance, Gatchalian said Luzon has 17,413 MW; Visayas, 3,335 MW; and Mindanao, 3,965 MW.

DOE earlier defined installed capacity as a unit’s “full-load continuous gross capacity” under specified conditions.

Dependable capacity is the “maximum capacity” when modified for ambient limitations for a specified time, such as a month or a season.

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