NGCP warns red, yellow alerts may occur due to rising demand

National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is preparing for potential worst-case scenarios amid extreme heat as the country transitions into a hot dry season.

At a press conference in San Juan City, NGCP spokesperson Atty. Cynthia Alabanza warned that red and yellow alerts may occur within the year due to rising power demand, following a yellow alert declaration last week.

A yellow alert indicates insufficient operating margin, while a red alert signals insufficient supply to meet consumer demand and grid requirements.

On March 5, Luzon's power grid briefly entered a yellow alert state due to forced outages and reduced plant capacity, with peak demand reaching 12,467 megawatts (MW) on March 6, a 5% increase from the earlier forecast of 11,870 MW.

NGCP met with the Department of Energy (DoE) to adjust power forecasts following the spike in temperature and will work with power generators and distribution utilities next week to develop contingency plans.

For 2025, the DoE forecasts a peak demand of 14,769 MW for Luzon in mid-May, a 5.37% increase from last year's peak.

NGCP emphasized that while current supply appears sufficient on paper, unplanned outages at critical plants remain the primary cause of power interruptions.