Urgency in Completing Amlan-Dumaguete Transmission Line Stressed by NGCP Due to Overloading

Dumaguete – The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has declared the Amlan-Siaton 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Negros Oriental as reaching a critical level due to overloading, prompting calls for accelerated work on a new line.

According to Philippines News Agency, NGCP-Negros public relations officer, the existing line’s capacity has been exceeded, and the construction of the new Amlan-Dumaguete 138 kV line is urgently needed to prevent potential power outages. “We are asking stakeholders and government officials in Negros Oriental to help us fast-track the acquisition of permits and the Certificate of No Objection from concerned local governments and private individuals,” Visera stated during an interview.

The new 138 kV line, which began construction last year, is slated for completion by September of this year. However, Visera noted that resistance from local communities has necessitated an application to extend the deadline to January 2026. She highlighted that the Amlan-Siaton line is currently carrying a load of 69 megawatts (MW), well above its normal capacity of 58 MW.

The urgency of the situation was underscored last weekend when many parts of Negros Oriental experienced a 12-hour brownout. This outage was due to preventive maintenance carried out by NGCP on the overloaded 69-kV line to ensure its stability.

Visera emphasized that speeding up the completion of the Amlan-Dumaguete 138-kV project is crucial to address the growing power demands and reduce the frequency and duration of power interruptions in the region.