Unstable grid signals need for decentralized, diversified power — analysts

THE SERIES of grid alerts last week exposed persistent structural weaknesses in how electricity is generated and transmitted, highlighting the need for a more decentralized power system, analysts said.

Jose M. Layug, an executive board member at the Philippine Energy Research & Policy Institute, said the red alert declaration over the Luzon and Visayas grids last week is not unusual for peak months.

He said these were driven by a strained system due to maintenance shutdowns, high demand, and transmission line tripping that further reduced available power.

“Again, as in the last few years, we have recommended the need for an integrated power plan that balances the integration of renewables with necessary baseload capacities and optimal resource-based energy mix,” Mr. Layug said via Viber.

“As we scale up renewables, we need to calibrate our power systems to ensure a reliable baseload supply,” he added.

Last week, the Luzon and Visayas grid went on red alert for three consecutive days due to the shutdown of several power plants and the tripping of transmission lines.

This reduced electricity exports to the Visayas grid and led to rotational power interruptions across the two island grids.

Giancarlo Sanglay, a technical expert at the Center for Energy Research and Policy (CERP), said the grid alerts stemmed from “a transmission failure, not a generation shortfall,” warning that treating it as a supply issue would lead to misguided solutions.

He said too much power generation depends on a “single corridor,” with a key transmission route carrying a large share of electricity from one area to the rest of the grid.

“CERP is calling for contingency planning that stress-tests against the simultaneous loss of multiple plants on a single transmission route, not just single-unit failures,” Mr. Sanglay told BusinessWorld.

According to think tank Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), the grid alerts reflect “how concentration of critical assets can lead to an immediate tightening of power supply conditions.”

The ICSC said the rotating blackouts across Luzon and the Visayas highlight the systemic risks of relying on a limited number of large power plants and key transmission routes.

“To break the cycle of grid alerts and rotating blackouts, the Philippines must move towards a more decentralized, diversified, and flexible power system, where the outage of no single facility can put the entire grid at risk,” the group said in a statement. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera