The Visayas power grid faces a yellow alert due to reduced reserves caused by multiple power plant outages and maintenance work, raising the risk of power interruptions.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has placed the Visayas power grid under a yellow alert for the afternoon to evening hours of October 17, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This alert was declared due to thin reserves resulting from the unavailability of several power plants in the region. The Visayas grid is currently operating at a capacity of 2,511 megawatts (MW), close to its peak demand of 2,362 MW, leaving limited margin for contingency requirements.
Contributing factors to the yellow alert include the unavailability of major coal plants, specifically PEDC 3 and KSPC 1, and planned maintenance on the Mindanao-Visayas interconnection Line 2. Additionally, multiple plants across the region have been offline due to forced outages or are operating at reduced capacity, resulting in a total of 662.4 MW unavailable to the grid.
A yellow alert indicates that although supply currently meets demand, the safety margin is insufficient, increasing the likelihood of rotational power interruptions. The NGCP warns that the power supply situation requires close monitoring during this period to mitigate potential disruptions.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/1006206/visayas-grid-under-yellow-alert-on-oct-17-2026/story/
