The Visayas grid will be under red alert from 4:00PM to 9:00PM on September 24, as available power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand. This is based on the grid status update of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) as of 8:00AM. Yellow alerts are also in effect from 2:00PM to 4:00PM and again from 9:00PM to 10:00PM.
The numbers behind the alert
NGCP listed the grid's available capacity at 2,292 megawatts (MW), against a peak demand of 2,495 MW.
According to NGCP, a total of 949.9 MW is unavailable to the grid. The advisory breaks down the plants on forced outage by how long they have been offline: 17 since September, 3 since August, 2 since June, 6 since May, 3 since 2025, 2 since 2024, 2 since 2023, and 1 since 2021. Aside from these, 17 plants are running on derated capacities, meaning they are operating below their full output.
What triggered the alerts
NGCP named two factors behind the red and yellow alert declarations:
Unavailability of the Visayas' large coal plants, specifically TVI 1, PEDC 3, and KSPC 2.
Temporary unavailability of power import from Luzon. A customer requested an emergency shutdown of the Tabango-Kananga 230kV Line 2 to make emergency repairs on its defective equipment.
Red vs. yellow alert
NGCP explained the difference in its advisory. A red alert is issued when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid's regulating requirement. A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the grid's contingency requirement.
What this means for readers
The advisory does not say which provinces or areas may be affected, and it does not say whether power interruptions will happen. It only states that the alerts are in effect. Readers may want to watch for announcements from their local electric cooperative or power distributor.
Practical tips
These are general suggestions and are not part of the NGCP advisory:
Check your local utility's announcements, especially before 4PM.
Limit electricity use during the red alert window (4PM to 9PM) where you can, such as running extra appliances or aircon.
Charge your phones, power banks, and rechargeable lights before the alert starts.
Follow NGCP's official channels for updates, since grid status can change through the day.
Households and businesses with backup power may want to make sure generators or inverters are ready.
QUICK SUMMARY
What: Red and yellow alerts over the Visayas grid due to insufficient power supply
Where: Visayas grid
When: September 24, 2026. Red alert 4:00PM to 9:00PM. Yellow alert 2:00PM to 4:00PM and 9:00PM to 10:00PM
Impact on Visayas: Available capacity of 2,292 MW vs. peak demand of 2,495 MW; 949.9 MW unavailable to the grid; the advisory does not say whether power interruptions will occur
Source: National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) grid status advisory as of 8:00AM, September 24, 2026 (#NGCPAdvisory)
Source: National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP)