The Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday, March 4, assured that the power situation in Western Visayas will become more stable with the completion of the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) line upgrade.

A partial blackout of the Panay sub-grid occurred on March 1 due to the shutdown of the three coal-fired power units of Panay Energy Development Corp., while Palm Concepcion Power Corp. (PCPC) is on regular maintenance until March 30.

“Relief from the Panay power situation is less than a month away. The Panay grid will be strengthened upon the completion of the [CNP] transmission upgrade by the end of March,” the DOE said in a statement.

“The [DOE] emphasizes the need for generators, distribution utilities, and the system operator to continue cooperating to maintain the grid’s stability and quickly recover from any power interruption,” it added.

DOE also called on the public to conserve energy, especially for this month, while waiting for the completion of the CNP transmission upgrade and the maintenance of PCPC.

The agency cited short- and long-term solutions to the energy woes in the Panay grid.

The short-term solution by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, the country’s system operator, is utilizing 10 percent headroom of large coal plants as a contingency reserve.

In turn, long-term solutions in the pipeline include the energization of several renewable and conventional power plants as well as the completion of transmission projects to support power generation projects and the growth of load centers. (PNA)