Davao Region may see an increase in overall electric power consumption during the holiday season due to various economic activities driven by large companies and industries in the area.
However, this increase in demand is not expected to have negative long-term effects. The fluctuations in energy use vary seasonally, along with other factors such as maintenance and reserve capacity.
During a Power 101 energy seminar held by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on the morning of October 11, 2024, at the Park Inn by Radisson, Lanang, Davao City, an official from the country's leading transmission service provider explained that the region's robust business climate plays a crucial role in this trend. Investments in construction, infrastructure development, commercial real estate, malls, steel plants, and manufacturing facilities contribute significantly to the increased demand.
“We may have an increase in the demand by December but it does not necessarily mean that there is a thin in the reserves because based on the program that we have, there are also maintenance activities in the power plant and the least reserve in the whole year that we had was in October therefore, in the coming months, mas taas ang atoang reserve level (Our reserve level is high) but that is only up to February,” said by Edgar Allan Fronda, NGCP senior manager.
In a separate interview with SunStar Davao, Milfrance Capulong, NGCP lead specialist for government relations and regional affairs, noted that while increased economic activities significantly contribute to higher power demand, residential consumption can also rise depending on usage.
“Dili lang na sya mga dakong industries. Our home appliances, mga Christmas lights especially this December, the more nga ginadugay nato sila og gamit, the more nga mag taas ang demand (It’s not just the large industries. Our home appliances and Christmas lights, especially in December, will drive up demand. The longer we use them, the more the demand will increase)," Capulong added.
Currently, NGCP manages the country's power grid, including all associated assets and facilities. The corporation determines the power mix by selecting which power plants to activate and balancing supply and demand. It also provides daily power situation updates for the grids in Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao, calculating available generating capacity, system peak demand, and operating margins—all expressed in megawatts (MW).
In Mindanao, NGCP covers six districts including North Western, Lanao, North Central, South Western, and South Eastern or all parts of the Davao region. DEF