DOE urges Luzon residents to conserve power for plant maintenance this weekend

The Department of Energy (DOE) has urged Luzon residents to conserve electricity this weekend due to scheduled maintenance at two natural gas generation plants.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday called on the DOE to ensure that the maintenance is completed on schedule and not extended, emphasizing the importance of preventive measures to avoid unplanned downtime.

South Premiere Power Corporation (SPPC) and Excellent Energy Resources Inc. (EERI), jointly owned by Meralco PowerGen, San Miguel Global Power, and Aboitiz Power, will undergo maintenance from 9 a.m. on Saturday until 6:30 a.m. on Monday.

Despite the shutdowns, no power alerts are expected during this period; however, spot market prices may temporarily rise as both EERI and SPPC will have an additional 50 megawatts (MW) capacity by Monday, bringing their total from 1,300 MW to 1,350 MW.

The maintenance is part of completing an onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tank by the end of April, with both plants expected to synchronize back to the grid by Sunday evening.