Storms, DUs and ECs

ENERGY, INFRA AND ECONOMICS

- BIENVENIDO S. OPLAS JR.

This year is another “year without summer” in the Philippines with rains in the past 11 months, similar to the years 2020-2023 when there were 12 months of rains. Exception was 2024 with four hot and dry months because of the big El Nino while we experienced prolonged La Nina from 2020-2023, then this year. Cooling prevailed over warming, at least in the Philippines.

So far, 21 storms have entered the Philippines this year and more than half made actual landfalls. The most recent were Kalmaegi (local name Tino) that devastated Cebu and other provinces in the Visayas and killed 232 people with over 100 missing, then Fung-wong (local name Uwan) that devastated several provinces in Cagayan Valley and North Luzon.

Last Tuesday, the Department of Energy (DOE) gave a press conference on the status of power restoration in the provinces affected by both Kalmaegi and Fung-Wong. Speakers included DOE Secretary Sharon Garin and Undersecretary Felix Fuentebella, National Power Corp. president Jericho Nograles, officials from National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, National Electrification Administration and Meralco.

Meralco reported almost 100 percent power restoration by Nov. 11 while many electric cooperatives (ECs) in Luzon have energized only 64 percent of the municipalities affected.

NGCP reported that in the Visayas, 55 transmission lines were affected but all restored by Nov. 8. In Luzon, 108 transmission lines were affected but 83 have been restored by morning of Nov. 11. From the updates by NGCP, only four lines remain unavailable as of Nov. 12 morning. I appreciate NGCP’s frequent updates, something like four to six times a day and night, including the affected DUs and ECs.