ENVIRONMENTAL group Greenpeace Philippines urged the Department of Energy (DoE) to immediately address the looming power outages in the country caused by “outdated” energy system, which can be done through giving more focus on transitioning to smart, flexible renewable energy.

“Recurring power shortages are a symptom of the bigger problem of the country’s outdated energy system. The country is heavily reliant on inflexible baseload fossil fuel plants. When these plants break down, the entire Luzon grid suffers and millions of Filipinos are left to suffer brownouts,” Greenpeace Campaigner Khevin Yu said in a statement.

The DOE on Thursday warned that the power supply in Luzon may fall under yellow and red alerts from June to August due to the shutdown of several baseload coal and gas power plants.

A yellow alert means that there is low electricity supply, while red alert means there are zero ancillary services or insufficient power supply in the grid.

“Instead of resorting to bandaid solutions geared at augmenting these outdated plants, the DoE should facilitate the immediate revamp of the country’s energy system to phase out centralized fossil fuel systems and transition to smart, flexible renewable energy,” Yu said.

“Aside from addressing energy security, this urgent and managed phaseout of fossil fuel baseload plants will not only help the country transition to clean renewable energy and help address the climate crisis. It will also ensure Filipino energy users do not bear the costs of these fossil fuel plants when they become stranded assets,” he added.

To hasten this transition, Yu noted that the government should start improving grid connectivity to support the entry of utility scale solar and wind facilities; increase the support for power generation through net metering; and encourage investments in energy storage and smart grids.

“Flexibility will be foundational for the energy grid of the future, and the government needs to start developing the infrastructure and ensure policy support to enable greater grid flexibility. These improvements in the distribution system will enable greater participation of variable renewables, paving the way for green and just Philippine energy transition,” Yu explained.

To recall, the Luzon grid was placed under red alert for three consecutive days from May 31 to June 2, amid the forced outages of plants and higher temperatures. In a recent Senate hearing on rotating brownouts in Metro Manila, the DoE had proposed for the amendment of the legislative franchise of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) and return to the government control of the Luzon grid to better manage power distribution and fix cybersecurity concerns in the power transmission sector.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi had repeatedly said that the NGCP has not been complying in terms of the required reserves procured through firm contracts as of end-2020.

Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros backed DoE’s proposal, saying that the privatization of the energy supply management has not solved the country’s energy woes at all, with rotating brownouts keep on recurring while price of electricity remain high.