DOE taps experts to deal with power crisis

The Department of Energy has turned to engineers of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for help in dealing with the power crunch now crippling Mindanao.

Specifically, the DOST experts will help Energy officials go over a power situation report to be submitted by the state-run National Transmission Corp. (Transco).

“I expect Transco to submit their findings next week, and I will be discussing the results with [DOST Secretary Mario G.] Montejo,” Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla said in a text message.

Petilla said DOST’ engineers would serve as “fresh eyes” in combing through the technical information to be gathered by Transco.

“We have not found any physical damage to the lines. Hence we are looking at electromechanical equipment like breakers and relays. This is the reason we are tapping DOST as additional resource as far as technical investigation is concerned,” Petilla explained.

However, the lead agency on top of investigation is still Transco and DOE, he added.

While the investigation is ongoing, The Energy department has initiated measures to ease the power situation on the island. This is because the Mindanao coal-fired power plant, which is said to have the largest capacity among similar facilities in the area, is still offline since the island-wide blackout started on Feb. 27. This means that Mindanaoans may be in for another two to three months of rotating two-hour outages before the power supply situation normalizes.

Last March 4, the DOE issued Department Circular 2014-03-0006, directing owners of generation sets in Mindanao to offer their output to the grid to increase supply capacity. The DOE also launched the Interim Mindanao Electricity Market for electricity providers and buyers. The DOE is also encouraging establishments with their own generation units to participate in the Interruptible Load Program, where they will be paid for the cost difference of using their own power generators instead of drawing electricity from the grid.

“These programs are on a voluntary basis and will serve as options for power providers and consumers to manage their energy requirements with the corresponding costs,” the DOE said in an earlier statement.