(The Philippine Star) Updated October 14, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (4)  |
In Mindanao at the height of this year’s dry season, residents in several areas suffered from blackouts lasting up to 12 hours a day. The rainy season has since given those affected some respite from prolonged blackouts. But energy supply in the south remains woefully inadequate, with the shortage expected to be eased only when new power generation facilities come on stream in a few years.
Earlier this week Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras warned that the energy shortage would be felt even in Luzon, and much earlier than originally predicted. By next year, Almendras told the Senate as he defended his department’s proposed budget, the Luzon grid would suffer from an energy shortage of at least 300 megawatts. He warned that the shortage could be worse if there isn’t enough rainfall to replenish water in dams despite the prevailing La Niña phenomenon. Combined with an expected increase in energy demand from this year’s 7,600 megawatts to 7,900 MW in 2011, the shortage could mean a return of crippling blackouts in Luzon, including Metro Manila.
The last time the National Capital Region was crippled by rotating blackouts was during the administration of the incumbent President’s mother. President Aquino would not want a similar energy crisis bedeviling his administration, but industry players have predicted that he would soon be saddled with the problem. In the two decades since the end of his mother’s presidency, the nation still hasn’t achieved energy security. The full impact of this failure is expected to be felt during his watch.
It takes four to six years to build a new power plant. Unless power generation capacity can be increased dramatically in the next few months, the government can only hope to mitigate the impact of the looming shortage. Those mitigation measures must now be drawn up, even as the government explores alternative energy sources and overhauls the power sector. Warnings have been issued. The energy secretary is aware of the problem, and there is no excuse to be unprepared.
Earlier this week Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras warned that the energy shortage would be felt even in Luzon, and much earlier than originally predicted. By next year, Almendras told the Senate as he defended his department’s proposed budget, the Luzon grid would suffer from an energy shortage of at least 300 megawatts. He warned that the shortage could be worse if there isn’t enough rainfall to replenish water in dams despite the prevailing La Niña phenomenon. Combined with an expected increase in energy demand from this year’s 7,600 megawatts to 7,900 MW in 2011, the shortage could mean a return of crippling blackouts in Luzon, including Metro Manila.
The last time the National Capital Region was crippled by rotating blackouts was during the administration of the incumbent President’s mother. President Aquino would not want a similar energy crisis bedeviling his administration, but industry players have predicted that he would soon be saddled with the problem. In the two decades since the end of his mother’s presidency, the nation still hasn’t achieved energy security. The full impact of this failure is expected to be felt during his watch.
It takes four to six years to build a new power plant. Unless power generation capacity can be increased dramatically in the next few months, the government can only hope to mitigate the impact of the looming shortage. Those mitigation measures must now be drawn up, even as the government explores alternative energy sources and overhauls the power sector. Warnings have been issued. The energy secretary is aware of the problem, and there is no excuse to be unprepared.
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