BUSINESS

LPU eyes power bill cut with geothermal switch

Maria Bernadette Romero

Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) will pool electricity consumption from its Batangas and Laguna campuses to secure direct renewable energy from First Gen Corp. (FGEN) to cut power costs and boost energy efficiency. 

The agreement allows LPU to aggregate over 1,150 kilowatts (kW) of electricity usage from the two campuses and shift to geothermal power supplied by FGEN’s unified generating plants in Tongonan, Ormoc City, and Kananga, Leyte. 

“We are optimistic that our partnership with FGEN will open more opportunities for us to utilize more renewable energy and become more energy efficient,” LPU President Dr. Peter Laurel said on Wednesday.

The pooling arrangement, enabled by the government’s Retail Aggregation Program (RAP), took effect on Monday, 16 February.

Under RAP, consumers with at least 500 kW of pooled demand in contiguous areas, under the same ownership, or within the same business category can directly negotiate with electricity suppliers. 

The threshold will drop to 100 kW per month on 26 June, allowing broader participation.

“As retail competition and open access were implemented and thresholds went down, we are proud to partner with LPU, whose values and commitment to environmental sustainability align closely with ours. 

We look forward to being their progress partner as Lyceum moves forward with their vision to have green campuses,” FGEN Chief Customer Engagement Officer Carlo Vega said.

LPU’s five campuses across Metro Manila and Southern Luzon promote sustainability, advancing renewable energy, and cutting campus carbon emissions.

FGEN, a unit of Lopez-owned First Philippine Holdings, operates 1,700 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy and holds a 40 percent stake in four gas-fired plants totaling 2,017 MW to support national energy security.