MINDANAO'S power supply remained stable through late April 2026, even as electricity demand hit its highest level so far this year, according to the latest demand-supply outlook from the Department of Energy-Mindanao Field Office (DOE-Mindanao).
Peak Demand and Supply Margins
As of April 26, data from the National Grid Corp. (NGCP) showed a year-to-date peak demand of 2,744 megawatts (MW) recorded on Thursday, April 23. Despite this increase, supply margins stayed healthy, with available capacity consistently exceeding demand.
From January 1 to April 26, the grid recorded an average available capacity of 3,351 MW, well above the average demand of 2,382 MW. This resulted in an average reserve of 969 MW, a buffer considered sufficient to cover fluctuations and potential plant outages.
Daily figures further reflected grid resilience. On April 23, when demand peaked, available capacity stood at 3,522 MW, leaving a 778 MW reserve. Reserves improved in the following days, reaching 1,049 MW on Saturday, April 25, and 1,010 MW on April 26.
Sustained Supply Surplus
Generation output also followed demand trends, peaking at 63,043 megawatt-hours on April 23 before easing slightly over the weekend, consistent with normal consumption patterns.
The sustained supply surplus aligns with earlier reports from SunStar Philippines, which noted stable operations among distribution utilities such as Davao Light from March to April 2026. This indicates that generation and transmission capacity have so far kept pace with rising demand.
Distribution Side Updates
On the distribution side, Davao Light and Power Co. (Davao Light) announced on April 12 a slight rate reduction for the April 12 to May 11 billing period, lowering residential rates by P0.10 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to P10.53/kWh. However, rates remain elevated due to high market-driven generation costs following a March increase. Supply conditions remain stable, with the Samal interconnection now operational.
Transmission Charges Rise
Meanwhile, NGCP reported higher transmission charges reflected in April bills. The average transmission rate for the March billing period rose by 4.26 percent to P1.7526 per kWh from P1.6810 per kWh in February, driven mainly by increased ancillary service (AS) costs.
NGCP stated that these are pass-through charges remitted directly to power generators and market operators. As the system operator, NGCP's priority is to ensure the grid remains resilient during supply-demand imbalances. NGCP does not profit from AS charges, as these are remitted directly to the providers who help maintain the continuous flow of electricity across the country.
