Iloilo City Rep. Julienne Baronda pushed for faster measures to address the power situation in the Visayas, particularly the deployment of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and the planned Mindoro-Panay interconnection.
During a House Committee on Energy hearing in Bacolod City, Baronda sought a clear timeline on when the BESS facilities could become available, noting that these are intended as a short-term solution to the region’s power concerns.
BESS are large-scale batteries that store electricity and release it to the grid when additional power is needed.”
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said two of the identified BESS facilities had already been energized and completed testing, although some technical issues still had to be addressed before they could operate without affecting grid stability.
NGCP later said a portion of the identified BESS suppliers was expected to go online in October, while Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the Department of Energy had already directed NGCP to contract the suppliers under the government’s energy emergency measures.
Baronda also sought an update on the Mindoro-Panay interconnection, asking whether work on the project could begin earlier even before the completion of the Batangas-Mindoro connection.
NGCP said the submarine cable linking Mindoro and Panay is being treated as a long-term project, with the earliest completion estimated at 2035.IMT
