Power generation charges surge

Unplanned and scheduled power plant shutdowns caused a significant spike in prices on the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) in August, according to the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP).

- By GABRIELL CHRISTEL GALANG

In a briefing on Wednesday, Sept. 3, IEMOP reported that the average WESM price surged by 15 percent, from P3.99 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in July to P4.59/kWh in August, which will be passed on to consumers through the generation charge on their electricity bills.

The overall average system demand also grew from 13,812 megawatts (MW) to 14,052 Mw.

Among the three main regions, Mindanao experienced the steepest price hike, with prices jumping 75 percent from P3.80/kWh to P6.66/ kWh. This was driven by a drop in supply, from 3,685 MW to 3,561 MW, due to coal plant outages.