DOE Warns Of More Grid Alerts As El Niño Threatens Power Supply
- May 21, 2026
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Consumers may face additional rotational brownouts and potentially higher electricity rates in the coming months as the Department of Energy (DOE) projects more yellow and red alerts across the country’s major power grids amid the looming effects of El Niño.
Energy officials said the power sector is bracing for tighter supply conditions in the second half of the year, particularly in the Visayas, where repeated grid alerts are expected due to rising demand and continued vulnerabilities in generation capacity
More Alerts Projected Across Major Grids
At a media briefing, Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the DOE is projecting at least one more yellow alert in the Luzon grid, seven yellow alerts in the Visayas, and six yellow alerts in Mindanao over the coming months.
The Visayas grid is also expected to experience six red alerts during evening peak hours, raising the risk of rotational brownouts in several areas.
A yellow alert is issued when operating reserves fall below the required contingency level, signaling that supply remains sufficient but vulnerable to outages if a power plant suddenly trips offline. A red alert, meanwhile, is declared when the available power supply is no longer enough to meet consumer demand and reserve requirements.
“Our power sector is preparing for El Niño scenarios. We are working together to respond to the challenges brought about by the shift of the season going to El Niño,” Fuentebella said.
The DOE said the Visayas remains particularly exposed because the region relies heavily on imported electricity from Luzon and Mindanao to stabilize supply during peak demand periods.
Ongoing Supply Concerns
The warning came after the Luzon and Visayas grids experienced multiple yellow and red alerts in recent weeks due to high electricity demand, maintenance shutdowns of power plants, and transmission line problems.
On Monday, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines again placed the Visayas grid under yellow alert from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. after several power plants experienced forced outages while demand remained elevated.
Grid operator data showed available capacity in the Visayas reached 2,683 megawatts (MW), barely above peak demand of 2,585 MW.
Last week, some areas experienced rotational brownouts lasting up to two to three hours after red alerts were raised for three consecutive days.
The DOE also cited the continued unavailability of several coal-fired power plants as among the factors contributing to the tightening supply situation.
El Niño To Increase Demand
Energy officials warned that El Niño conditions could further strain the power system by driving up electricity demand while affecting generation operations.
El Niño typically brings drier-than-normal weather conditions, prolonged dry spells, and droughts, increasing the use of cooling appliances and raising electricity consumption, especially during warmer months.
The country last experienced a major El Niño event in 2023-2024, a period that also saw repeated red alerts and supply shortages in several grids.
While demand usually eases during the rainy season, the DOE said the threat of additional alerts remains despite expectations of slightly lower consumption.
Industry players, particularly power generation and distribution companies, are coordinating closely with the government to cushion the impact of the anticipated dry spell.
Impact On Electricity Bills
The DOE also warned that recent grid alerts could translate to higher electricity rates in the June billing period as more expensive power plants are tapped to stabilize the grid during supply shortages.
Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said red alerts often require the dispatch of costly emergency power sources, including diesel-fired plants.
“Potentially, there could be an increase because we were on red alert. We need to run on more expensive power plants, like those powered by diesel,” Guevara said.
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government is working to stabilize key transmission facilities, including the Tayabas-Ilijan 500-kilovolt and Dasmariñas-Ilijan 500-kV lines, while coordinating with power generation firms to restore affected supply capacities to the grid.
Source:
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/05/19/2528937/doe-more-rotating-power-outages-expected
https://business.inquirer.net/591040/more-brownouts-possible-amid-el-nino-threat-doe
