Meralco gets more ILP capacity

MANILA, Philippines–The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has gathered additional capacity under a voluntary self-generation program ahead of the anticipated power crisis in Luzon by the summer of 2015.

Total capacity for the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) is now at 133 megawatts (MW), said Meralco’s head of utility economics Lawrence Fernandez.

From the 123 MW of committed interruptible load (CIL) last Sept. 24, Meralco now has 133 MW of CIL, mainly due to the addition of Ayala Land among the roster of ILP participants.

Meralco has also been working with the government to identify public building with generating sets that may be tapped for ILP.

Under the ILP, big power consumers with generator sets may voluntarily self-generate electricity to ease demand from the grid at peak hours in return for fuel cost reimbursement and some compensation.

It is one of the main programs that the Department of Energy (DOE) wants to tap to help ease the power supply gap from March to June 2015.