Group slams gov’t over looming brownouts, power woes

LUCENA CITY, Quezon – The Power for People Coalition (P4P) criticized the government for allegedly compounding the burden on Filipinos, as the country faces recurring brownouts due to insufficient power supply.

“The looming threat of rotating brownouts amid red and yellow alerts in the Luzon grid is yet another burden being placed on ordinary Filipino consumers who are already enduring soaring electricity rates, extreme heat, and a worsening cost of living crisis,” the coalition said in a statement Thursday.

P4P is a national network of communities and civic movements advancing clean and affordable energy.

P4P stressed that power interruptions are “not mere inconveniences.”

“They disrupt livelihoods, endanger vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens, children, and persons with illnesses, affect students and workers, and threaten the operations of hospitals, transportation, and essential services,” the group said.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) earlier warned of possible brownouts after placing the Luzon and Visayas grids under red and yellow alerts due to insufficient power supply and thin operating reserves.

READ: NGCP warns of possible brownouts as grids hit red, yellow alert levels

A red alert is raised when the power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirements. On the other hand, a yellow alert is declared when the operating margin falls below the grid’s contingency requirement.

According to NGCP, the Luzon grid was placed under red alert from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., while yellow alert status was imposed from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The Luzon grid recorded an available capacity of 12,479 megawatts (MW) against a peak demand of 12,595 MW.

P4P blamed coal-fired and liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plants for the supply problem.

“These costly yet unreliable electricity sources accounted for more than 70 percent of the lost capacity in the Luzon grid,” the group claimed.

It added that the situation worsened as many parts of the country continued to experience extreme heat, with over 40 areas recording dangerous heat index levels in recent days.

The coalition noted that consumers have long been paying high electricity rates.

READ: Luzon, Visayas consumers to face brownouts anew on Thursday

“Yet the public is once again being asked to brace for power interruptions caused by recurring supply shortages and vulnerabilities in the country’s energy system,” the group said.

“This situation underscores the continuing failure to ensure accessible, reliable, and sufficient power supply for the people,” it added.

P4P urged the government, energy regulators, and private power industry stakeholders to provide full transparency on the causes of the grid alerts, contingency measures being implemented, and long-term plans to address recurring energy insecurity.

“Consumers deserve accountability, not repeated excuses every summer season,” the group stressed.

“Power is a public necessity. The people should not be left powerless,” it added./coa