No blackouts seen in Luzon on election day

The Department of Energy (DOE) said no power outages will occur in Luzon and the Visayas on May 9, as commissioning plants will boost supply in the regions.

In a briefing Wednesday, DOE Secretary Zenaida Monsada said power outlook for Luzon and the Visayas is good, but some Mindanao areas may have rotating blackouts.

Monsada said all power plants that were on scheduled maintenance have started operating again.

“We have additional capacities from San Gabriel and Avion gas-fired power plants, which are on testing and commissioning. Both will add 400 megawatts of power to Luzon and Visayas grids,” Monsada said.

       The 414-MW San Gabriel and 97-MW Avion natural gas plants of the Lopez Group were supposed to run before the summer months but encountered issues with its contractor.

The DOE is coordinating with the power industry to ensure that preparations toward the election will be executed properly.