Araneta City (ACI Inc.) announced on Thursday it is among the first mixed-use hubs in the Philippines to adopt retail aggregation for some properties and connect them directly to renewable hydroelectric power, in partnership with First Gen Corp.
The agreement, signed on Oct. 14, will see First Gen pool the power demand of over 200 retail and service tenants in Ali Mall and New Frontier Theater, including the events and concert hall, as well as more than 9,000 apartments in 18 residential towers of Manhattan Gardens.
First Gen will directly supply these aggregated customers with renewable energy (RE) from its Pantabangan-Masiway and Casecnan Hydroelectric Power Complex in Nueva Ecija.
The properties included in the transition are the New Frontier Theater, Ali Mall and the Manhattan Gardens residential development.
ACI senior vice president of operations Antonio Mardo said switching to retail aggregation and using RE is a strategic move that will enable the company to improve energy efficiency and effectively manage its electricity costs.
“Each of our properties has energy demands, and switching to retail aggregation and using RE is a strategic move that will enable us to improve energy efficiency and effectively manage our electricity costs,” said Mardo.
“We hope that our relationship with First Gen will continue over the years and even expanded,” he said.
By aggregating end-users and choosing First Gen, Araneta City secures cost-efficient electricity and reduces the carbon footprint of its operations with RE usage.
Araneta City availed of two government initiatives: the retail aggregation program (RAP), which enables multiple electricity end-users within the same contiguous area to combine their power demand and collectively purchase electricity directly from a supplier; and the retail competition open access (RCOA) program, which allows consumers with a monthly peak demand of at least 500 kilowatts over the past year to choose their own electricity suppliers.
First Gen chief customer engagement officer Carlo Vega said the company is “privileged to transition Ali Mall, an iconic retail landmark, to retail aggregation and RE.”
“We are aligned in our common goal to make a decarbonized and regenerative future iconic and look forward to continuing to partner with Araneta City in its sustainability journey,” Vega said.
Spanning 35 hectares in the heart of Metro Manila, Araneta City has been a pioneer in property development for over 70 years, seamlessly integrating retail, entertainment, residential, hospitality and office spaces.
First Gen, the leading RE producer in the Philippines, has 300 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity from the Pantabangan-Masiway and Casecnan hydro complex, as well as the Agusan River facility in Bukidnon. Its RE portfolio also includes 1,300 MW of capacity from geothermal, solar and wind.
In partnership with Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc., First Gen also operates four gas-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 2,017 MW. These facilities support baseload requirements and help offset the intermittency of renewable sources, stabilizing power supply and enhancing energy security.
