The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) should ensure there is reliable power supply ahead as the country braces for the summer season.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian pointed this out as he urged both the DOE and the ERC to ensure generation companies are compliant with preventive maintenance schedules to deter disruption of power supply ahead of the expected surge in demand for electricity during the summer months.

“It is critical that generation companies strictly follow maintenance schedules to ensure the reliability of power supply and prevent costly downtimes,” said Gatchalian.

Gatchalian, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Energy, noted public expectations of potential red or yellow alerts during the summer season.

The senator made the statement following the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) warning of unplanned plant outages that could threaten power supply during the next few months.

But Gatchalian emphasized this could be prevented if authorities can compel generation companies to conduct regular maintenance to address potential problems and maximize power generation output to prevent outages.

“The lack of electricity, especially during the summer, has a widespread impact on families, businesses, and entire communities,” he warned.

Moreover, the DOE should also increase information, education, and communication on energy efficiency and conservation among consumers.

Such campaigns, he said, should focus on reducing overall energy consumption, particularly in high-demand areas like Metro Manila.

He said implementation of efficiency and conservation measures is expected to significantly reduce energy consumption, help ensure sufficiency of supply, and generate savings for power consumers.