Philippines Eyes September Relief for Visayas and Mindanao Power Grid Alerts

The Philippines expects some relief from recurring power grid alerts in the Visayas and Mindanao this September as several generating units return to service and new battery energy storage capacity is brought online.

Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin said the return of power plants should add much-needed generation capacity to grids that have repeatedly faced yellow and red alerts because of tight electricity supply.

The Visayas grid has recorded 96 yellow alerts and 33 red alerts so far in 2026, while Mindanao has experienced 12 yellow alerts and three red alerts.

Power Plants Scheduled to Return to Service

Several generating units are expected to resume operations over the coming weeks.

Cebu Energy Development Corporation Unit 1 returned to service on September 5, while Therma Visayas Unit 1 is scheduled to resume operations on September 15.

Panay Energy Development Corporation Unit 3 is expected to return by October 3.

In Mindanao, Therma South Unit 2 is scheduled to return on September 8, followed by Unit 1 on September 19.

GNPower Kauswagan Unit 2 is targeted to resume operations on September 20.

Bringing these units back into service is expected to increase available generation capacity and reduce the frequency of supply alerts.

253 MW of Battery Storage Planned for Visayas

Battery energy storage is also being brought in to support the Visayas grid.

The DOE expects around 253 MW of battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity from private generation companies, with facilities planned across Cebu, Panay, Negros and Leyte.

Battery systems can provide additional power during periods of tight supply and respond quickly when generation unexpectedly becomes unavailable.

The DOE has identified energy storage as part of its near-term response while additional generating capacity is restored or developed.

Grid Alerts Highlight Reliability Pressure

Yellow alerts indicate that operating reserves have fallen below required levels, while red alerts mean supply is insufficient to meet both demand and reserve requirements.

Persistent alerts across the Visayas and Mindanao have highlighted the impact that multiple plant outages can have when electricity supply margins are already tight.

Earlier in September, dozens of generating facilities across the two grids were either unavailable or operating below full capacity, contributing to rotational outages in some areas.

For industrial facilities, commercial operations and critical infrastructure, repeated supply constraints increase the importance of generation reliability, adequate reserve margins and faster recovery from equipment outages.

DOE Prioritises Grid Stabilisation

Garin described the low power supply situation in the Visayas as “unacceptable” and said the immediate priority is to stabilise the grid before addressing accountability for prolonged outages or delays.

The department is working with power generators, grid operators and regulators to restore unavailable capacity while introducing additional backup resources.

The current response combines the return of existing generating assets with battery storage, while longer-term generation projects will be required to strengthen supply margins.

Reliability Remains Central to Philippines Power Expansion

The recurring grid alerts show that adding generation capacity alone is only one part of maintaining a stable electricity system.

Plant availability, maintenance performance, transmission capability, energy storage and reserve capacity all affect whether electricity can be delivered reliably when demand rises or major units go offline.

For the Visayas and Mindanao, the return of generating units and deployment of new battery capacity could provide short-term relief this month.

However, continued investment in generation reliability, storage and grid infrastructure will remain important as electricity demand grows across the Philippines.