Visayas consumers warned of brownouts as NGCP prepares manual load drops

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Consumers across Cebu, Negros, Panay, Bohol, and nearby islands may experience rotational brownouts on Monday, June 8, after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) warned that it could implement Manual Load Dropping (MLD) to prevent a wider power system disturbance in the Visayas grid.

In an advisory issued on June 8, NGCP said Manual Load Dropping may be enforced from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. in areas served by several distribution utilities and electric cooperatives throughout the Visayas.

READ: Grid outlook: Visayas grid maintains thin power reserve

Among those potentially affected are customers of:

Visayan Electric (VECO), Mactan Electric Company (MECO)

Cebu Electric Cooperative units I, II and III,

Negros Power,

Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO),

Negros Oriental Electric Cooperatives I and II,

Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (NONECO),

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Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO),

Antique Electric Cooperative (ANTECO),

Capiz Electric Cooperative (CAPELCO),

Iloilo electric cooperatives I, II and III,

Guimaras Electric Cooperative (GUIMELCO),

Bohol Light Company (BLCI), and

Bohol electric cooperatives I and II.

The ossible implementation of Manual Load Dropping is necessary due to limited power generation in the Cebu-Negros-Panay sub-grids which form a major part of the Visayas power network, NGCP explained.

Manual Load Dropping explained

Manual Load Dropping is a controlled reduction of electricity supply in selected areas to immediately lower system demand and stabilize grid operations.

It is typically implemented when available generation becomes insufficient to meet projected electricity consumption.

The advisory comes despite the Visayas grid maintaining yellow alert-free operations.

READ: Yellow alert raised in Visayas grid anew

NGCP did not specify the exact duration or extent of outages that may be experienced by individual consumers.

However, it has noted that implementation will depend on actual system conditions and the level of demand during the affected hours.

The grid operator likewise said the scheduled load dropping could still be cancelled if conditions improve, particularly if electricity demand falls below projections or additional generation capacity becomes available.

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