After the punishing blackouts, the public will be saddled with another burden after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) planned to pass on to electricity consumers the cost of repairing its transmission facilities damaged by typhoon “Basyang.”

As in previous filings it made with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), the transmission firm hinted that it will again invoke “force majeure" in its bid to recoup from ratepayers typhoon-induced repair costs on damaged facilities.

“In the past, yes, we did (cost recoveries) like in the typhoon “Milenyo.” But it is subject to ERC approval and anybody can intervene,” NGCP senior technical adviser Guillermo Redoblado said.

The transmission firm noted it has yet to determine the total costs from damage repairs intended for recovery.

This early though, the ERC is being cautioned to exercise utmost prudence in evaluating NGCP’s filing for cost recoveries as the system blackout incident may have been of its own doing or due to its inefficiencies or unpreparedness for emergency situations.

The very slow pace of restoration of electricity supply infuriated millions of affected consumers that they now question the performance standards set for the transmission firm under a tariff setting sanctioned by performance-based regulation.

“We are now rushing total replacement of insulators… these are the weak and vulnerable components in the transmission system,” Redoblado added

Meanwhile, shortly before noon on Thursday, the system operator apprised media that “81% of the 6,651 total power in the Luzon grid has already been restored.”

It said it may take three to four days before full power supply can be brought back for the entire grid, and one to two days in Metro Manila alone.

It was likewise reported that the damage sustained by the San Jose-Tayabas line of NGCP has been posing gridlock, slowing down power supply restoration in Metro Manila. Pending the repair of the line, some plants cannot be synchronized to the grid yet.

The transmission firm further noted it has already completed the needed replacements on damaged conductors along San Jose-Tayabas Line 1 and was already set for testing and energizing, while repairs on Line 2 of San Jose-Tayabas are targeted for completion this Friday.

Unit 2 of Sual was synchronized to the grid at 11 a.m., with 647mW load, while the Masinloc coal plant added 300mW. Unit 2 of the Malaya thermal plant brought in 350mW, and Malaya Unit 1 was also expected online on Thursday and will augment the grid’s load by another 300 megawatts.

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said it has restored 91 percent of power in areas hit by power outage.

Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco External Communications manager, said the restored electricity translates to more than 4.3 million of the total 4.7 million customs of Meralco.

He said Meralco is ahead of schedule in restoring power back to areas hit by black-out as workers has worked double time to restore electricity.

“As of 4 a.m. Thursday, supply of power has been restored to 91 percent of costumers, Zaldarriaga said in an interview.

Zaldarriaga, however, said that four-hour rotating brownouts are to be expected due to the weak transmission capability of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

He said limited transmission capability of NGCP’s transmission lines resulted to a load curtailment in Meralco’s franchise area Thursday which will result to a 3-4 hour rotational brownout schedule.

Zaldarriaga said among the areas hit by rotating brown-outs include several portions of Cubao, Balintawak and Diliman, in Quezon City. Dasmarinas, Bacoor and Imus, in Cavite. Las Pinas and Masinag in Marikina, Parañaque Sapang Palay.

Baliwag and Malolos, Bulacan. Batangas, San Pablo, Laguna and Tagaytay from 8 to 12 noon; Balintawak, La Loma, in Quezon City; Malabon, Malinta, Tanay, Rizal, Marikina, Dasmariñas and Silang in Cavite, Makati, Novaliches, Tutuban, Malate, Sta. Mesa and Pandacan, Ayala Alabang, BF Parañaque, HillCrest, San Pablo, Laguna and Sta. Maria, Bulacan from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Pamplona, Las Piñas, Sun Valley in Parañaque, Sta. Maria Bulacan, Sta. Mesa, Balintawak, BF-Parañaque, Diliman, Kamuning, Manggahan, New Rockwell, North Port and some parts of Sampaloc in Manila from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Balintawak, Binondo, Bocaue, Bulacan, Gardner, Malibay, Pasay, Paco, Pandacan in Manila, Cainta, Canlubang, Ayala-Alabang, Forbes Park, Kamagong in Makati, Malabon, North Port, Parañaque, Parang, San Mateo in Rizal, Tayabas, Lucena, Pagbilao in Quezon, Candelaria, Kaybiga, Legaspi, Malibay, Marikina, New Rockwell, Ortigas, Mandaluyong, Tegen, Urdaneta from 12 noon to 4 p.m.