Blackouts hit Metro, nearby provincesPOWER interruptions hit various parts of Luzon on Friday as the grid plunged into “red alert” status due to a power supply deficiency. He said the “debilitating power interruptions” were in “total violation” of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001. Consumer group Citizen Watch called on regulators to check power plants for cartel-like behavior, pointing to a “suspicious” trend of plant shutdowns. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi instructed his agency’s Power Bureau to conduct technical audits and inspections of privately owned power plants to check for violations. In an advisory, power utility giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said power interruptions stretched for three hours from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in portions of Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, and Quezon City in Metro Manila.

Source: Manila Times August 05, 2016 17:37 UTC