DoE: No blackouts in off-grid areas

THE Department of Energy (DoE) has shrugged off fears of blackouts in off-grid areas amid the oil crisis, as it moves to allocate procured diesel on their power plants.

Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin assured that “there are no power interruptions due to a shortage of oil supply.”

“In fact, the directive of the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) is clear: prioritize off-grid generation companies in the supply of diesel, and provide them with preferential rates and terms to maintain adequate supply and prevent increases in electricity prices,” she said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Currently, the country’s island communities and off-grid areas depend almost exclusively on power plants operated by the state-run National Power Corp.’s (NPC) Small Power Utilities Group.

To boost oil buffer, the government has also moved to procure barrels of diesel since March from different countries through PNOC.

The Philippines has so far imported 1.12 million barrels.

Ms. Garin said PNOC is in close coordination with NPC and generation companies for the supply of diesel.

“There is no reason for the public to worry about rotational brownouts in off-grid areas,” she said.

“We are comfortable with the current diesel buffer, which has reached 54.61 days, and government agencies continue to ensure that the supply is delivered to areas with the greatest need.” — Sheldeen Joy Talavera