The Visayas power grid remained under an extended yellow alert on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, as system conditions tightened due to multiple plant outages and rising electricity demand, according to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
In an advisory issued at 6:30 p.m., NGCP said the yellow alert covered the 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. period, with available capacity at 2,674 megawatts (MW) against a peak demand of 2,473 MW.
The grid operator said the alert level was maintained due to the unavailability of several generation facilities and increased demand forecasts.
A total of nine power plants were on forced outage as of May 2026, along with one plant that has been offline since March 2026.
Additional plants have been out since 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2021, while 20 others are operating on derated capacity. In total, 864.8 MW remains unavailable to the grid.
NGCP cited the unavailability of major Visayas coal plants TVI 1, TVI 2, and PEDC 3 as among the key factors affecting supply.
The grid operator also noted an increase in forecasted system demand of around 65 MW, further tightening the operating margin.
A yellow alert is issued when available operating reserves fall below the required contingency level, signaling reduced buffer capacity to respond to unexpected power interruptions.
Despite the alert, NGCP said system conditions remain manageable within the declared period, but urged continued monitoring as demand fluctuates during peak hours.
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