TOKYO, Japan – A Japanese company has presented an offer to the Philippine government on the application of an artificial intelligence-based (AI) technology that can systematically track power outages and could also aid in right-sizing the design of transmission network as well as other facilities and systems in the electricity supply chain.

In an interview with reporters here, Department of Energy (DOE) Director Patrick T. Aquino indicated that the presentation was made by the Japanese firm during a workshop on hydrogen and energy transition convened by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for ASEAN-member countries.

“There’s one Japanese company that has AI capability – and it already has 21 patents. Its experience has been that: it can process data – whether on outages or in making sure that the size of the transmission facility is apt,” he said.

Aquino conveyed that apart from monitoring power plant operations, this AI-leaning technology will also be viable when it comes to monitoring the operations of energy storage systems with the use of essential algorithms. He has not named the company for now, pending the report that he has yet to make to Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla.

“It requires historical data and the system has to run for at least two weeks or something,” he said, specifying that in instances of power service interruptions akin to the recent blackouts in Panay island, the propounded Japanese technology could help in pinpointing the specific player in the power system that can be properly accounted for with violations.

Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella stated in the same interview that the technology may potentially help the Department of Energy (DOE) and even the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in sifting through data that could lead the government in determining which party is really at fault in the recent Panay blackouts.

Aquino added “when I go back, I will share that not only to the Secretary, but also the ERC which will also be a good recipient of that (AI application)… if they can put in all of the data and let the program run, they can identify the problem.”

To recall, initial blame had been directed at transmission firm National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), but the system operator argued that its network has been working well when the Panay blackouts happened, hence, it is warranted that deeper probe shall also look into possible lapses on the side of the generation companies.

With the application of AI technology, Fuentebella emphasized that “basically in Panay, what you would see is: if the data would already be in, it already provides also the analysis.”

He similarly noted that when the liable party is already identified with the help of data and in establishing the sequence of events via technology application, the earlier proposed “causer pays mechanism’ may be enforced, entailing then that the ‘party at fault’ will be the one to shoulder the cost of the outages.

“That’s a price determination methodology – so the result of investigation has to come out first before we can enforce the ‘causer pays mechanism’. For now, all of these are being charged to the consumers – but in the ‘causer pays mechanism’, there’s a percentage there that we’re looking at,” he stressed.

The energy official qualified it has to be firmly established which entity in the supply chain is really at fault – if the GenCo (generation company) or transmission operator so we can pinpoint which player has the accountability and will be made to pay the cost of damages accruing from the power outages.”