Brix Lelis - The Philippine Star
October 21, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The country’s peak electricity demand could jump by 10.7 percent next year as the “super El Niño” threatens to further intensify summer heat, according to the Department of Energy.
Latest DOE data showed peak demand could reach 22,231 megawatts in 2027, up from the 20,088 MW recorded earlier this year.
Peak demand refers to the highest amount of electricity needed at a given time, when households and businesses use the most power.
The DOE monitors peak demand to ensure the country has enough electricity to meet consumer needs and prevent power outages.
Despite the projected increase, Energy Undersecretary Mario Marasigan said the country would have a sufficient power supply amid the El Niño threat.
“We don’t see shortages,” Marasigan told reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine International Nuclear Energy Forum yesterday.
On the supply side, he said hydropower facilities would be the most affected by El Niño, with output potentially dropping by as much as 60 percent.
The DOE is also assessing how the climate phenomenon could affect the efficiency of solar power plants and the performance of biomass facilities.
“If there is no agriculture, there is no produce and then definitely we have no waste,” Marasigan said, referring to biomass plants that use agricultural residues and animal waste to produce heat or electricity.
This year, the DOE expects more than 2,700 MW of power projects across the country to be completed.
Another 4,758 MW in committed projects are also expected to come online next year, further boosting power supply.
According to Marasigan, the DOE’s current priority is to resolve power supply constraints in the Visayas to ensure the region can stand on its own.
“If the Visayas can meet its own demand, it will no longer need to import power or at least reduce its imports from Luzon and Mindanao,” he said.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines placed the Visayas grid under red alert from 5 to 6 p.m. yesterday following the forced outages of several large coal-fired power plants.
A red alert is issued when the power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the grid’s regulating requirements.
Since January, the Visayas grid has recorded 45 red alerts, based on the latest industry data.
Department of Agriculture’s action plan
The Department of Agriculture has presented a consolidated P61.99-billion action plan to mitigate the anticipated effects of El Niño on the country’s food production and rural livelihoods, while acknowledging P371 million in proposed interventions that remain unfunded.
Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro reported the plan’s presentation to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. following the National El Niño Task Force meeting presided over by President Marcos last week, according to a memorandum outlining the meeting’s highlights.
The proposed spending package includes P6.2 billion already released under the government’s UPLIFT Program.
The remaining funding requirements and unfunded interventions underscore the importance of matching preparedness plans with timely financing and implementation as the country braces for possible drought-related disruptions.
“We need to plan ahead and ensure farmers have the support they need to cope with a potentially severe El Niño, including access to drought-tolerant rice varieties and other appropriate inputs,” Laurel said.
Among the proposed interventions without funding are cloud seeding operations and measures to manage red-striped soft scale insect infestation affecting sugarcane production.
The P371-million shortfall highlights competing demands on resources as authorities seek to protect crops and sustain agricultural output.
All government agencies were directed to adopt energy- and water-conservation measures, while early procurement and possible budget realignment were encouraged, subject to applicable procurement, budgeting, accounting and auditing rules. — Josiah Antonio, Rhodina Villanueva