The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has recognized the City of Makati as the pioneering local government unit advocating the complete utilization of 100% renewable energy through the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) and the Retail Aggregation Program (RAP).
Lawyer Francis Saturnino Juan, chairperson and CEO of ERC, presented the Certificate of Recognition to Mayor Nancy Binay on March 19.
The event coincided with the signing of a nine-year Renewable Energy Supply Agreement between Makati and ACEN Corporation, aimed at enabling the full transition of all city government facilities to renewable energy.
“This initiative reflects how we envision Makati: a city powered by clean energy—fueling our public transport, energizing our businesses and households, and supporting our schools, hospitals, and public spaces. It is a vision that aligns with the goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda, and one that we are proud to actively pursue,” Binay said.
Under the agreement, all 154 city government facilities, including the New Makati City Hall, Ospital ng Makati, and the University of Makati, will shift from conventional power to 100% renewable energy sourced from ACEN’s solar, wind, and geothermal plants—nearly 10 MW of combined load.
“At a time when global uncertainties, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, continue to put pressure on power prices, this partnership is both timely and strategic. It strengthens our energy security while reducing the impact of rising electricity costs on the city’s resources,” Binay said.
Through a guaranteed discount on prevailing utility generation charges, the city is projected to save around P300 million over the nine-year contract period.
Binay said the agreement is part of her administration’s push to adopt circular economy practices in Makati, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“This is how we want to govern. Clean energy powering our buildings, that same energy powering our electric vehicles, and savings going back to public services. That is what a circular economy looks like in practice, and Makati will be the proof of concept,” she said.
Over the life of the contract, the transition is expected to prevent about 289,885 metric tons of carbon emissions, equivalent to removing 62,000 cars from the road or preventing the combustion of 108 million liters of diesel.
Binay also expressed hope that the agreement would encourage other local governments in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia to pursue similar programs.
“We want other cities to look at what we did here and say, we can do that too. If the most urbanized, most densely populated financial district in the country can run on renewable energy, then other cities will also be inspired to try,” she said.
ACEN will also install 19 EV charging stations at city facilities at no cost to the local government. Powered by the same renewable energy supply, the stations will support the city’s e-jeepneys, e-buses, and e-shuttles.
