Araneta City partners with First Gen to aggregate power use of Ali Mall, New Frontier Theater, and Manhattan Gardens towers and shift to hydroelectric energy. Signing the deal were (L-R) ACI’s John Castelo and Antonio Mardo, and First Gen’s Carlo Vega and Maych Soriano Photo courtesy of First Gen Corp.
BUSINESS

Araneta City taps FGEN for clean energy shift

Maria Bernadette Romero

Ali Mall, New Frontier Theater, and the Manhattan Gardens complex in Araneta City will soon run on renewable power after Araneta City Inc. (ACI) signed an energy supply deal with Lopez-led First Gen Corp. (FGEN).

FGEN said Thursday that it will supply hydroelectric power to more than 200 tenants at Ali Mall and New Frontier Theater, as well as over 9,000 residential units across 18 towers of Manhattan Gardens.

The clean energy will be sourced from FGEN’s Pantabangan-Masiway and Casecnan hydro plants in Nueva Ecija.

“Each of our properties has energy demands, and switching to retail aggregation and using renewable energy is a strategic move that will enable us to improve energy efficiency and effectively manage our electricity costs,” ACI senior vice president of operations Antonio Mardo said.

“We hope that our relationship with FGEN will continue over the years and even expand.”

ACI said the move will cut power expenses while lowering emissions across its properties.

“We are privileged to transition Ali Mall, an iconic retail landmark, to retail aggregation and renewable energy,” said Carlo Vega, FGEN chief customer engagement officer.

“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.”

The government’s Retail Aggregation Program and the Retail Competition and Open Access framework allow power users to combine electricity demand and choose their supplier.

FGEN has 300 megawatts (MW) of hydro capacity and 1,300 MW from geothermal, solar, and wind, alongside 2,017 MW of gas-fired power capacity operated with Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc.