El Niño threat bodes ill for Luzon's power supply, says solon
At A Glance
- Quezon City 4th district Rep. Marvin Rillo is concerned that the intensifying El Niño phenomenon could threaten Luzon's tight supply of electricity in the coming months.
(Unsplash)
A lawmaker in the House of Representatives is concerned that the intensifying El Niño phenomenon could threaten Luzon’s tight supply of electricity in the coming months.
Quezon City 4th district Rep. Marvin Rillo, a member of the Committee on Energy, noted that the lack of rainfall might disrupt the operations of hydropower facilities that electrify various areas in Luzon.
“We would urge the House Committee on Energy to look into the potential adverse impact of prolonged below normal rainfall conditions on hydroelectric power plants in Luzon,” Rillo said in a statement on Sunday, Dec. 10.
He pointed out that hydroelectric power plants contribute an aggregate of 2,416 megawatts (MW) to the Luzon grid.
“Grid-connected, dam-type impounding hydro, pumped hydro, and run-of-river power plants currently supply around 13.9 percent of Luzon’s dependable generating capacity,” the solon added.
Hydropower relies on the constantly recharging system of the water cycle to produce electricity.
Power distributors Meralco and Aboitiz Power Corp. warned last month that Luzon’s power supply would remain tight in 2024, with no baseload capacity added to the grid while demand is expected to continue growing.
In an advisory issued Dec. 6, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said El Niño has further intensified, with several provinces in Luzon at risk of a dry condition, a dry spell, or a drought.
None of the provinces in Visayas and Mindanao were considered at risk.
Based on a recent PAGASA model, the peak of El Niño will continue to persist until January 2024.
El Niño is the unusual warming phenomenon that develops in the Pacific Ocean, which triggers disruptions in local weather patterns and other extreme climatic variability. --Dexter Barro II