MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) on Tuesday said it is expecting an increase of 18 percent in the country’s energy capacity in 2024, decreasing the chances of power supply issues next year or during the election period.
The DOE made the pronouncement after Senator Raffy Tulfo, during a Senate panel investigation on the recent power supply crisis, demanded assurance that such a crisis won’t happen next year, or during the 2025 polls.
In response, Energy Undersecretary Rowena Guevarra assured the senator that 4,000 additional megawatts are set to be added to the country’s energy capacity by the end of the year — over 2,000 megawatts of which are conventional energy, while over 1,900 megawatts are renewable energy.
This translates to an 18 percent increase in total power generation capacity compared to 2022 levels, said Guevarra.
The yearly increase is 6 percent.
“That growth rate is covered up to 2026, with the plants that are coming in just this year,” she added.
Furthermore, additional capacities from new power plants being constructed are also expected to come in by 2025, with some already complete.
Close monitoring of new plants
She said the DOE will closely monitor the commissioning of the additional power plants and energy sources to ensure that they will start operation as scheduled.
READ: Record PH heat drives power supply alerts, bares grid weaknesses
“Binabantayan po talaga namin ‘yung mga papasok po this year and we paved the way for them, whether it is at the [local government unit] level, sa [National Grid Corporation of the Philippines], sa ibang national governmen’t agencies for permits or licenses, we try to pave the way for them so that wala na pong rason na hindi sila makakaoperate within the date that they promised us,” she explained.
(We are closely watching those that would go online this year and we paved the way for them, whether it is at the local government unit level, at National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, or other national government agencies for permits or licenses, we try to pave the way for them so that there will be no reason for them not to be able to operate within the date that they promised us.)
In December 2023, the DOE expressed confidence that there would be no power shortage in 2024 even with the extreme heat and drought caused by El Niño.
READ: DOE: No power shortage in 2024 despite El Niño
However, come April, the country’s electric grids have consistently experienced a series of yellow and red alerts due to thinning power supply, and dozens of power plants on forced outage.