Conserve energy as typhoon batters parts of PH — DOE

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) urged the public to conserve energy as Typhoon Aghon (international name, Ewiniar) batters parts of the country.

“We would like to ask everyone’s cooperation to minimize the use of electricity in Luzon Grid.  The typhoon caused substantial decrease in the available power supply in the grid at the time when the hydropower plants have not recovered from low water supply,” Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said in a press briefing.

“While we look forward to the power supply improving in the coming days, the Department encourages everyone to conserve energy in order to minimize dispatch of the more expensive oil-based power plants,” he said.

Lotilla also told commercial industrial consumers to partake in an interruptible load program.

“The oil-based , however, have been useful in so far as providing power to the grid, particularly in the absence of the hydro power plants. Commercial industrial consumers are being encouraged to continue to participate in the interruptible load program,” Lotilla said.

Aghon has affected the eastern parts of the country, including Quezon, Aurora and Rizal.

It intensified from a severe tropical storm to typhoon on Sunday night.