Meralco, private business cooperation bear fruit
THE Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has secured commitment for additional de-loading capacity under the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) as the company ramps up efforts to ensure stable and reliable electricity service during the dry months.
Meralco is set to gain an additional 56 megawatts of de-loading capacity, as pledged by Ayala Property Management Corporation (APMC).
This would bring the real estate firm’s total commitment to 144 MW from 88 MW and expand the distribution utility’s ILP capacity to 616 MW from 560 MW currently.
The ILP is an energy demand-side management program through which large-load customers are asked to use their generator sets or reduce their operations, instead of drawing power from the grid, to spare households from power interruptions during instances of Red Alert or when supply is insufficient to meet the demand.
Participation in the ILP is a win-win for both companies and communities according to Michael Magpusao, Chief Engineer and Chief Operating Officer of APMC, which manages over 200 properties nationwide ranging from residential buildings to malls and estates.
“The ILP exemplifies the spirit of bayanihan because while the national government prepares the grid for a more reliable supply, we, in the load side, are doing our part to help communities,” he said in a recent Meralco webinar.
WalterMart chairman Abraham Uy also testified to the benefits of the ILP program, saying it significantly lowered the occurrence of unplanned power outages thus preventing damage to their equipment.
“Meralco’s management of the ILP program benefits companies which no longer need to worry about surges,” he said, referring to sudden demand surges that could lead to power shutting off.
In the webinar, Meralco also renewed its call for more companies to join the ILP to help avert possible power interruptions, especially during the dry months—when electricity demand traditionally spikes.
At present, there are 117 companies across the Meralco franchise area that are part of the ILP.
“Electricity consumption historically rises during the dry months because of the increased use of cooling appliances. That’s why we, in Meralco, continue to share a wealth of energy efficiency tips, not only to help our customers better manage their power consumption, but also to encourage its adoption as a way of life,” Meralco Spokesperson and First Vice President for Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga said.
Meralco, in coordination with the Department of Energy and industry stakeholders, assures its 7.6 million customers of its relentless efforts to deliver sufficient, reliable, and stable electricity service not just during the dry months but all year long.
