Filipinos can expect electricity disruptions when they cast their votes for the general elections next year as Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes reiterated Tuesday his warning about a looming power crisis.

Reyes, in a budget hearing at the House of Representatives, said the country’s power supply is at a critical level that may lead to power interruptions in Luzon by 2010.

He said the Visayas region started to experience power shortage last year while Mindanao is beginning to experience the same problem this year.

“This is one dimensional problem on supply. It will impact on tourism, investment, business sector, etcetera,” Reyes told the House Committee on Appropriations during the hearing on the proposed P933-million budget of the Department of Energy (DoE) for 2010.

The country’s total generating capacity from existing power plants is 15,000 megawatts (MW). But the dependable capacity, meaning those from plants that could be relied on to supply electric power continuously, is only 13,000 MW.

Reyes said the power shortage has reached 3,800 MW. The required additional power supply, he said, should be at 4,100 MW but the committed capacity that private power producers can provide is only 1,020 MW.

The DoE chief, however, said the government can still prevent a full-blown power crisis by using a provision in Republic Act 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001.

“Under Section 71 of the EPIRA law provides that the government can come in with the President declaring an emergency. That declaration has to be concurred by Congress by approving a joint resolution,” Reyes said.

Reyes urged President Arroyo to declare an emergency crisis in the energy sector.

Meanwhile, Malacañang said it expects Reyes to recommend measures to address a looming power shortage next year.

“The Secretary of Energy will let us know to take proper action and make proper recommendation to the President,” Presidential economic spokesperson Gary Olivar said in a press briefing.

During her ninth and final State of the Nation Address (SoNA), President Arroyo said the price of the electricity will be go down with the implementation of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001.

She said the next generation will benefit from low prices from EPIRA.

The DoE earlier noted that from 2010 to 2014, the Philippines’ energy capacity requirement is from 3,620 to 3,659 megawatts. Luzon alone has energy requirement from 1,950 to 1,989 megawatts. (With a report from Charissa M. Luci)