Electricity retail aggregation program expands to Visayas

ERC

MANILA, Philippines — Eleven treatment facilities of the Manila Water group that serve Boracay Island have entered the electricity retail aggregation program (RAP). This marks the government initiative’s expansion into the Visayas region.

In a statement, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said transition of Boracay Island Water Company Inc. to the RAP was the first in the Visayas.

Under the RAP, customers can pick their electricity providers as well as shift to clean energy sources.

Multiple consumers that share a common area can also pool their demand to hit the 500-kilowatt (kW) minimum threshold.

READ: Laguna Water, Laguna Aquatech switch to retail aggregation program, a first outside Metro Manila

According to the ERC, implementing the RAP could promote competition while allowing consumers to manage their power costs.

BIWC is an operating unit of Manila Water subsidiary Manila Water Philippine Ventures. It holds a concession from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, the industry regulator in Boracay.

BWIC’s aggregate demand, which includes water and sewage treatment plants and pumping stations, peaks at 749 kW.

Renewable energy provider

For this switch, Manila Water has tapped anew another Razon firm, PrimeRES Energy Corp.

This came just three months after the former bared its move to transition to RAP covering its plants in Luzon.

“After just a few months of RAP being piloted in various sectors, we’re thrilled to see it reach the Visayas through Boracay Water’s initiative. This is a landmark moment for energy democracy in the Philippines,” ERC chair Monalisa Dimalanta said in a separate statement.

READ: Razon firm PrimeRes secures retail license

As the program gains more traction, the ERC chief expressed hope that “more institutions across the country will be inspired to follow suit.”

Parent firm Manila Water serves the East Zone network of Metro Manila. This covers of Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Pateros, Mandaluyong, and San Juan. Also covered are portions of Quezon City and Manila and several towns in Rizal province.

Outside the East Zone concession, Manila Water has subsidiary businesses in Laguna, Clark, Boracay and Estate Water.