Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles has urged the Department of Energy to ensure stable and ample power supply during the approaching summer months especially during the conduct of the May 2022 elections.
Nograles made the request in the wake of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) forecast that there will likely be a thin energy supply during the dry season due to increased demand, possibly affecting the polls.
“We should do everything to prevent outages, especially during the elections. We do not want the credibility of the May 2022 polls to suffer just because we can’t solve brownouts,” he said
Nograles suggested that in case power plants need to do preventive maintenance, the schedule must be coordinated with the DOE to ensure they will not be offline simultaneously. “For years, this has been happening and I don’t understand why this annual problem of summer power outages has not been solved,” he noted.
He said the DOE should also look into tapping renewable energy solutions as a remedial measure. “There are solar power systems that can be easily installed in communities. I have heard of NGOs doing it. Why can’t the DOE do it? This may even be the answer to our long-elusive target of 100 percent electrification,” Nograles stressed.