Makati City has become the first local government in the Philippines to fully transition to renewable energy under the Retail Competition and Open Access and Retail Aggregation Program, earning recognition from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
ERC Chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan presented a Certificate of Recognition to Mayor Nancy Binay on March 19, coinciding with the signing of a nine-year Renewable Energy Supply Agreement with ACEN Corporation. The deal will transition all city government facilities to renewable sources.
“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,” Binay said.
Under the agreement, 154 city facilities — including the New Makati City Hall, Ospital ng Makati, and the University of Makati — will be powered by solar, wind, and geothermal energy, with a total load of 10MW.
Binay highlighted the move’s strategic value amid global uncertainties and rising power costs.
“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 costs of electricity on the city’s resources,” she said.
The city anticipates savings of around ₱300 million in utility generation charges over nine years and the prevention of 289,885 metric tons of carbon emissions — equivalent to removing 62,000 cars from the road or saving 108 million liters of diesel.
The program also includes 19 EV charging stations installed across city facilities at no cost, supporting Makati’s e-jeepney, e-bus, and e-shuttle fleets.
“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,” Binay added.