CEBU CITY – To address growing demand, a leading renewable energy (RE) provider is expanding their footprint in Cebu.

Officials of First Gen Corp. said they are ramping up their electricity supply business and clean energy solutions in the province where they currently serve 79 customers, spanning sectors such as manufacturing, food production, and commercial developments.

Since the opening of the retail competition and open access (RCOA) framework around three years ago, the company has been strengthening their presence in the Visayas.

“With the opening of RCOA, we expanded our sales operations in the south, including Cebu, where we also launched customer engagement activities last year,” Jay Soriano, vice president and head of Strategy and Planning of First Gen, said in an interview with reporters.

To give customers more flexibility in sourcing power, the company expansion in Cebu will continue, Soriano added.

“We really want to allow for customer choice. Customers benefit tremendously when they can decide based on affordability, reliability, and availability,” he said.

First Gen is operating 31 renewable energy facilities nationwide with a combined installed capacity of 1,764.2 megawatts (MW), sourced from geothermal, wind, solar, and hydro power.

Nearly half of this capacity is located in the Visayas, largely from geothermal plants, which are considered among the most stable and reliable renewable sources.

Soriano emphasized that while cost remains a major consideration for consumers, energy security and price predictability are becoming increasingly important, especially in a country heavily reliant on imported fuel.

“When times are good, people tend to choose the cheapest electricity. But during crises, when fuel prices spike, that’s when predictability becomes very important,” he said.

Aside from electricity in kilowatt hours to customers who contract directly with the company, First Gen is also expanding their product offerings to include on-site solar solutions.

These range from rooftop solar installations to hybrid systems with battery storage, offered through various payment schemes such as outright purchase or power purchase agreements (PPAs).

The company is also introducing value-added services like remote energy monitoring, which involves installing sensors to help clients track and optimize their energy use.

“It’s not just about selling electricity anymore. We’re trying to be more customer-centric by helping clients manage their energy consumption efficiently,” Soriano said.