Visayas and Mindanao power grids face supply strain and red alerts

The Visayas and Mindanao power grids in the Philippines have experienced significant supply strain, with the Visayas recording 123 yellow and red alerts between January and September 3, 2026. On September 4, both regions faced red alert conditions, indicating that available power supply could not meet peak demand.

In the Visayas, the red alert lasted from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on September 4, driven by 815.8 MW of unavailable capacity due to forced outages at coal plants TVI 1 and PEDC 3, alongside limited imports from Mindanao. Mindanao also faced a red alert from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. due to unavailability at coal plants GNPK 1, GNPK 2, and TSI 2.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is pursuing short-term measures, including the deployment of diesel power barges and approximately 200 MW of battery energy storage systems. For long-term relief, Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin stated that additional baseload capacity from new projects in Panay and Cebu is expected to come online between 2028 and 2030.