THE Department of Energy (DOE) is pursuing a combination of short- and long-term measures to stabilize the Visayas power grid, which has been repeatedly placed under yellow and red alerts and is already affecting economic activity in the region.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the immediate priority is to bring stalled generating units back online while adding battery storage and temporary generation capacity to address supply shortages.
“Palagi po nagye-yellow and red alert sa Visayas,” Garin said during a press briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. “In general po, it is at the level na it is affecting the economic activity in Visayas. So una po natin na homework or objective, our first job remains stabilizing the Visayas grid.”
(The Visayas is constantly being placed under yellow and red alerts. In general, the situation has reached a level where it is affecting economic activity in the Visayas. So our first task, or objective, is to stabilize the Visayas grid.)
She said Cebu Energy Development Corp. (CEDC) Unit 1, with an 82-megawatt (MW) capacity, returned to service on Sept. 2. Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) Unit 3 in Iloilo, with 150 MW, is targeted to return by Oct. 3, while Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI) Unit 1, with 169 MW, is expected to return on Sept. 18.
TVI Unit 2 is also being checked for a return to service after experiencing another issue shortly after coming back online.
The DOE is also developing 253 MW of battery energy storage capacity across Cebu, Panay, Leyte and Negros.
Garin said the batteries would allow excess renewable power generated during the day to be stored and dispatched during the late afternoon and evening, when electricity demand typically peaks in the Visayas.
“By adding battery to the area, we will decrease the number of alerts,” she said.
The DOE is also looking to bring in about 200 MW of temporary barge-mounted generation, with the capacity potentially reaching 250 MW. These units could begin coming online by December or the first quarter of 2027, although installation and integration could take about six months.
Garin said the measures are intended to bridge the supply gap while permanent generation projects are developed.
“These are temporary solutions,” she said, noting that the Visayas cannot rely indefinitely on batteries or diesel generation because of cost and reliability concerns.
Under the DOE’s Visayas Master Plan, the government is also working to increase generation capacity on individual islands and reduce the region’s dependence on power imports from Luzon and Mindanao.
For Panay and Negros, the plan includes a pipeline of 135 MW of new baseload capacity by 2028, another 270 MW in 2029 and 150 MW in 2030. The DOE is also looking at 220 MW to 440 MW of gas-fired mid-merit capacity by 2028.
The agency is coordinating with the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to reinforce transmission facilities and support the connection of new generation projects.
Garin said the long-term plan is intended to provide the Visayas with a more stable and diversified power supply.
“Wala pa yung problema, inaayos na,” she said, emphasizing the need for long-term energy planning.
(We should address the problem before it happens.)
The DOE expects the combination of returning generating units, battery storage and temporary generation to help address supply constraints in 2026–2028, while new generation projects are developed from 2028 onward. / KOC