Visayas Grid Yellow Alert, 5–8 PM on Saturday, October 17 —…

Visayas Grid Yellow Alert, 5–8 PM on Saturday, October 17 — 2 Coal Plants Go Offline

📌 On Saturday, October 17, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) issued a yellow alert for the Visayas grid from 5 PM to 8 PM. Two large coal-fired power plants are shut down, and scheduled maintenance on the Mindanao–Visayas interconnection is overlapping, leaving reserve power short. Visayas areas including Cebu and Boracay should be mindful of the power situation during evening hours.

■ What's Changing
· Alert time: Saturday, October 17, 5 PM–8 PM, Visayas grid
· Available power supply is 2,511 MW against an expected peak demand of 2,362 MW. Supply exceeds demand, but it falls short of the reserve level required for emergencies.
· Causes: Shutdown of coal plant units PEDC Unit 3 and KSPC Unit 1, and the 2nd scheduled maintenance of the Mindanao–Visayas interconnection

■ What a Yellow Alert Means
· Current demand can be met, but the emergency reserve power is below the required level. This raises the likelihood of rotational brownouts.
· No specific brownout schedule has been announced for this alert.

■ Tips for Residents and Travelers
· If you are staying in the Visayas, reduce electricity use during the alert hours (5–8 PM), and charge your phone and power bank in advance.
· For information on whether outages will occur, check announcements from your local distribution utility or city hall.
· This alert applies to the Visayas grid only. The Luzon grid, which includes Angeles and Clark, is not affected.

■ Sources
GMA News (10/17), Inquirer (10/17)

■ Photos
· Stock photo · Substation equipment behind barbed wire — GMA News