The Peninsula Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PENELCO) informed the National Electrification Administration (NEA) regarding its underbuilt lines that allegedly caused a transmission outage last Saturday, 18 June 2022. PENELCO explained that their 13.2kV distribution line in Brgy. Imelda, Samal, Bataan was built in 1995 even before the construction of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) Hermosa-BCCPP 230kV transmission line.

"Since its energization on 18 March 1995, there was enough clearance between PENELCO's distribution line and NGCP's transmission line, thereby both lines operating normally," PENELCO General Manager Loreto A. Marcelino said in its letter to NEA.

The Electric Cooperative (EC) later learned that in October 2012, NGCP conducted resizing to bigger wire, from 795MCM to 410mm², contributory to increase the sag due to heavier weight than the original size of wire. As there was no record of trouble from 2012, the perception is that there was additional load on the transmission line that heated up the conductor resulting in a very low sag clearance between the distribution and transmission lines causing this outage.

After the outage last Saturday that led to the placement of Luzon Grid on Yellow and Red Alert Status, PENELCO took the initiative to correct the clearances but the grid operator told the EC to remove their distribution lines. "Hindi puwedeng ilipat ang linya kasi walang ibang dadaanan kundi sa ilalim ng transmission line. Kung hindi kami dadaan diyan, we cannot serve the community," PENELCO Engr. Edwin C. Zaldivar said in a virtual meeting with NEA officials last 21 June 2022.

NEA Engineering Department Manager Engr. Federico P. Villar, Jr. and Principal Engr. Bonifacio T. David then suggested to look into the feasibility that the EC, in collaboration with the NGCP, can extend assistance. That could either be insulating an enough length of distribution line or having it underground in accordance with the standards to meet the safety clearance.

PENELCO also reported that the crossing of distribution and transmission lines occurs in other parts of Bataan. NEA Administrator Emmanuel P. Juaneza instructed the EC to survey or inspect those lines to avoid the same problem. The EC concurred and suggested a joint inspection with NGCP to better resolve the matter. ###