By Henrylito D. Tacio
Photos courtesy of AboitizPower
AboitizPower – the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, and retail electricity services – had high hopes for 2020 as it anticipated the realization of its growth strategy over the next decade.
But three months into what AboitizPower thought would be a stellar year, the pandemic caused by novel coronavirus – called SARS-CoV2 – brought about an unprecedented impact on the power company, forcing it to transition from significantly growing the business to keeping it afloat and from expanding the organization to making necessary adjustments in its workforce.
Despite all this, the power company remains committed to advancing business and communities by providing reliable, reasonably priced, and responsibly produced power solutions even in the new normal.
“The year 2020 may not have been what we expected, but it was the year that revealed how resilient we are as an organization, manifested by the group’s successes in spite of the challenges it faced in the last nine months,” said Emmanuel V. Rubio, AboitizPower President and Chief Executive Officer.
True to its mantra of business with a purpose, the AboitizPower Group and the Department of Energy (DOE) successfully turned over around P650 million in direct remittances under the Energy Regulations No. (ER) 1-94 program to various host communities across the country as of Dec. 28, 2020.
The ER 1-94 program is a policy under the energy department stipulating that communities hosting power generation plants get a share of one centavo per kilowatt-hour generated by facilities operating in their area.
With a circular from Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi covering ER 1-94 funds, host local government units (LGUs) can also use these shares to help manage the effects of the new virus, in accordance with the Bayanihan to Heal as One-Act. This includes the facilitation of mass testing by providing and constructing facilities and acquiring proper medical testing kits.
Among the other highlights of 2020 for AboitizPower was the renewal of its pact with First Bay Power Corp. (FBPC) on the supply of Cleanergy, the company’s brand for renewable energy, which will help power the livelihood and development of the municipality of Bauan, Batangas.
This renewed partnership between the two companies signals the start of the delivery of 10 MW of clean power to First Bay from AP Renewables, Inc.’s (APRI) MakBan geothermal facility. This further aligns with the Aboitiz Group’s thrust to grow its Cleanergy portfolio and position itself as a major player in the renewable energy space.
Beyond staying true to its commitment to growing its business and empowering its host communities, AboitizPower also remains steadfast in its drive for operational excellence in 2020. Despite the challenges this year has brought, the organization still bagged several awards and recognitions throughout the year.
AboitizPower won a Silver Stevie Award for its Integrated Response and Awareness towards the COVID-19 Hazards (I-REACH) program under the Most Valuable Corporate Response category in the 2020 International Business Awards, underscoring the company’s proactive approach in dealing with the pandemic.
For the third year in a row, AboitizPower was also recognized as a constituent company in the FTSE4Good Index Series, which measures the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices and is used by a variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds and other products.
More importantly, the holding company Aboitiz Power Corporation also received ISO re-certification from the standards body International Organization for Standardization, further demonstrating its commitment to operational excellence even amidst the global health crisis.
In the next 10 years, the company is still set on significantly expanding its portfolio of renewable energy power plants, and by 2030, its capacity mix will have been transformed into an almost 50:50 Thermal to Cleanergy ratio.
“Our targets in the next decade remain the same. We will continue to pursue a major shift in our energy mix by 2030, but while we remain focused on addressing the country’s energy trilemma of energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability, we will be shifting the balance from ensuring low-cost energy to providing energy from more sustainable sources,” Rubio added.
With its balanced mix strategy, AboitizPower can provide the country with a reliable and cost-efficient power supply, creating a greener and safer environment for the country and the rest of the world. (PR)
