Meralco eyes electric coops to reach more provinces

By Alena Mae S. Flores – September 14, 2023, 9:35 pm
from manilastandard.net

Power retailer Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) plans to expand its distribution network through electric cooperatives, a top executive said Thursday.

“There is one last idea that I encourage Meralco to adopt, which is broadening investments in electric cooperatives in the country,” Meralco chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan said during the Giga Summit organized by the Meralco Power Academy.

“We might be efficient on the generation side of the business, but Meralco’s distribution footprint is limited to our franchise area,” Pangilinan said, referring to Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and parts of Pampanga, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon.

Meralco is the country’s largest private sector electric distribution utility covering 38 cities and 73 municipalities with over 7.6 million customers. Its franchise area accounts for 55 percent of the country’s electricity output.

“So there are key areas in the country where electric cooperatives have got to level up to the kind of standards and efficiencies Meralco as a distribution company has achieved,” Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan earlier said Meralco wanted to expand its reach “especially the critical areas where there is a need for an efficient distribution utility.”

Some residents outside Meralco’s franchise such as those in Nasugbu were clamoring to be part of Meralco to mitigate power outages in their areas.

Nearly 70 percent of all households in the municipality of Nasugbu wanted to transfer their electricity service from Batangas I Electric Cooperative to Meralco.

The residents said having stable electricity from Meralco would uplift their livelihood and improve their quality of life.