Visayan Electric signs Interruptible Load Program agreements with Aboitiz Energy Solutions, Inc., SM Prime Holdings, Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, J. King and Sons Company Incorporated (Club Ultima), and Lucky Group Management & Dev. Corp (Gaisano Country Mall).
Visayan Electric, the second largest electric distribution company in the country, has strengthened its Interruptible Load Program (ILP) through a newly established partnership with four major industry operators in its franchise area: SM Prime Holdings, Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, J. King and Sons Company Incorporated (Club Ultima), and Lucky Group Management & Dev. Corp (Gaisano Country Mall).
The strategic partnership has boosted the ILP capacity of Visayan Electric to 23 megawatts. This significant load will lessen the possibility of implementing rotational brownouts among Visayan Electric customers during times when power interruptions are inevitable to ration limited power supply in the grid.
The Interruptible Load Program was established by the Department of Energy (DOE) and Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and was first introduced in the Visayan Electric franchise in 2010. It allows companies with loads of at least 1 megawatt to voluntarily use their own stand-by generation facilities instead of drawing power from the grid to mitigate the energy supply deficiency.
Participating companies in the ILP are requested to ‘de-load’ or reduce their power consumption during peak demand hours, allowing them to contribute to the overall grid stability. In return for their cooperation, these companies will be compensated by Visayan Electric.
Present during the contract signing were: SM Prime Group Asst. Vice President for Engineering and Design Development Operations - Visayas and Mindanao, Earl Ledonio; Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu assistant chief engineer, Cris Pimentel; Lucky Group Management & Dev Corporation’s (Gaisano Country Mall) Chief Financial Officer, Alexis Gaisano; and J. King and Sons Company COO, Susan King Bernardo.
Visayan Electric Asst. Vice President for Customer Services Engr. Daryl Bonbon thanked the companies for their voluntary involvement in the ILP, highlighting the importance of working together to make sure the Visayan Electric franchise area is ready when there are power supply issues.
SM Prime’s Ledonio, meanwhile, expressed his enthusiasm to be once again part of the distribution firm’s interruptible load program. “SM has always been supportive of Visayan Electric’s ILP ever since it started way back 2013, and we would like to thank them for reaching out to us and for giving us this opportunity to give back to the community,” he said.
Anticipating power supply issues after the DOE issued warnings early this year of possible yellow and red alerts in the Luzon and Visayas grid, as well as the forecasts of an El Nino, Visayan Electric started proactively urging companies and industry players to participate in its interruptible load program to ensure adequate power supply and lessen the possibility of implementing rotational brownouts in its franchise area.
Commercial and industrial customers who are interested to enroll in the ILP may get in touch with their respective Key Account Managers or get in touch with Visayan Electric through info@visayanelectric.com.