Rotating Brownout in Mindanao


posted by Rechie on

7 comments

We are having daily rotating brownout due to power shortage caused by El NiƱo since the first week of February. During the first two weeks, the brownout here in our area was every 2 hours, from 7 to 9 in the evening. Yet, this Monday and Tuesday, the brownout took 8 hours, from 9 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon.  Many business owners here in the City started complaining with how the brownout affects their livelihood. It affects ours too because everything we have in our house are all electrical equipments from our rice cooker to our burner. Well, I am so glad that we didn't had a brownout this morning. I hope we will be back to two-hour rotating brownout. That, we can take but not 8 hours of no air condition or at least electric fan to think the weather is extremely hot.  I feel so sad of hubby who's not used of having no air to sweat all day. 

Now, how El NiƱo causes our power shortage here in Mindanao? I would like to share this with you:

(Source)
A prolonged dry spell is expected to further worsen the already critical power supply in southern Mindanao, a power firm executive said on Wednesday.

Joseph Nocos, Conal Holdings Corp. vice president for business development, cited falling water levels at Lake Lanao in Lanao del Sur province that fuels the Agus hydroelectric power complex.

“The country’s weather [bureau] Pagasa has said that the country will experience a long dry spell during the summer. This will affect [adversely] generating capacities of hydropower plants in Mindanao,” Nocos said.

As of February 9, the water level in Lake Lanao was only 19 centimeters above critical level. The lake is 699.34 meters above sea level and its critical point is 699.15 meters above sea level.

Mindanao’s power supply is heavily reliant on the Agus and Pulangi hydro facilities, which make up nearly half of its generating capacity.

7 comments

  1. Chris