NGCP: 10-year-plan needed to build plants, answer power demand

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 9) — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on Monday said it may take a while before the country could have another power plant as much planning would be involved.

According to NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza, the agency has been warning that power supply would be thin amid the rising demand this dry season.

"It does take time to build power plants, to build transmission lines. The planning portion for this must be done way ahead. You cannot plan for your use just this year," Alabanza told CNN Philippines' The Final Word.

"You have to have at least a 10-year planning horizon to ensure that the demand will not overtake the supply increases. So this has to be well planned, well coordinated," she added.

Unscheduled power plant shutdowns and lower capacities of operating facilities forced NGCP to declare a red alert on the Luzon grid from 1 to 4 p.m. on Monday.

Based on NGCP's official Twitter account, power interruptions were reported in a number of provinces, including Isabela, Quirino, and Ilocos Sur.

Alabanza said the plants were back online at around 5 p.m. and power is expected to be stabilized by Tuesday. She added that NGCP is "optimistic" that there would be no red or yellow alerts hoisted over grid lines in the following days.