Nearly 2 Million Meralco Customers Face Rotational Power Interruptions in Luzon

On Saturday, June 1, 2024, nearly 2 million customers of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) in Metro Manila, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Rizal, and Quezon experienced 1.5-hour rotational power interruptions as a result of a red alert on the Luzon Grid.

The manual load dropping (MLD) began at 2:17 p.m. and services were fully restored by 11:47 p.m. Meralco implemented this measure to manage the system condition caused by a significant supply deficiency.

Meralco spokesperson and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga stated, *"With a significant supply deficiency, rotational power interruptions had to be implemented across Luzon, including in Meralco's service areas, to manage the current system condition. "* He apologized for the inconvenience and assured that the company is proactively exhausting all demand-side management efforts to minimize power interruptions.

Why this matters: The power interruptions experienced by nearly 2 million Meralco customers highlight the ongoing challenges in managing power supply in the region, which can have significant economic and social implications. If not addressed, these challenges can lead to more frequent and prolonged power outages, affecting businesses, industries, and daily life.

In addition to the rotational power interruptions, Meralco also de-loaded 200 megawatts covering its commercial and industrial customers to help manage the situation.

The Luzon Grid was placed under red alert from 1 p.m. on Saturday to 12 a.m. on Sunday, June 2, following the outage of Ilijan Block A and B, resulting in a total loss of 1,200 megawatts. The available capacity was recorded at 12,706 megawatts, versus the peak demand of 11,955 megawatts.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) lifted the red alert at 12:35 a.m. on June 2, and all Meralco services were fully restored by 11:47 p.m. on June 1.

The Luzon Grid has been placed on yellow and red alerts several times this year following forced outages of several power plants, including the Ilijan Block A and B, which caused the alerts on Saturday. As of 10 a.m. on Sunday, the Luzon Grid was under normal condition.

Nearly 2 million Meralco customers experienced significant inconvenience as a result of the 1.5-hour rotational power interruptions. The company's efforts to manage the situation, including de-loading 200 megawatts from commercial and industrial customers, helped mitigate the impact. The Luzon Grid has since returned to normal conditions, but the event highlights the ongoing challenges in managing power supply in the region.

Key Takeaways

• 2 million Meralco customers in Luzon experienced 1.5-hour power interruptions on June 1, 2024.
• The outages were due to a red alert on the Luzon Grid caused by a significant supply deficiency.
• Meralco implemented manual load dropping and de-loaded 200 MW from commercial and industrial customers.
• The Luzon Grid was placed under red alert from 1 pm to 12 am, then returned to normal condition.
• The event highlights ongoing challenges in managing power supply in the region.