Excess water in dams to be used for power

Business World Online
Posted on September 29, 2011 12:20:23 AM


A MARKET emergency has been declared by the Energy department to allow the use of storm-brought excess water for power generation.
“[W[e have determined that there are a number of dam reservoirs with water elevation levels reaching their limit and there’s a need to reduce the water levels in anticipation of another typhoon,” Energy Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras told reporters yesterday.
“It would be a waste to release the water in the dams without using it. So what we’re doing is we’re declaring a market emergency, thereby allowing the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) to automatically dispatch a hydropower facility that would want to offer its power to market,” he added.
The declaration allows the government to intervene in the WESM, which normally allows market forces to determine what type of power will be dispatched.
Several reservoirs are close to the spilling level due to the heavy rains from typhoon Pedring which battered Luzon on Tuesday.
The release of water has been blamed for exacerbating floods but the Energy department said only one dam, Angat, had done so.
The market emergency will only last until Friday “but if there is another storm I might have to declare it again,” Mr. Almendras said. -- ENJD