THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said Friday that it approved the application of the First Gen Energy Solutions Inc. (FGES) as a retail electricity supplier, even as the ERC looks forward to providing consumers the choice of where to source their power requirements.

The ERC said FGES joins the ranks of GN Power Ltd. Co., Aboitiz Energy Solutions Inc., Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. and GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant Ltd. Co. in being granted a license to operate as a retail-electricity supplier.

A retail-electricity supplier refers to a person or entity allowed by the ERC to sell, broker, market or aggregate electricity to end-users.

“There is a growing confidence among investors in the electric-power industry in the Philippines,” explained ERC chairman Rodolfo B. Albano Jr., adding that the ultimate goal of providing consumers the power to choose their source of power is coming to a realization.

FGES is a wholly owned subsidiary of First Gen Corp. (First Gen), incorporated in the Philippines and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 24, 2006.  

It is engaged in the marketing, supply, delivery, purchase and sale of electricity, and is also involved in the development, design, construction, assembly, commissioning, ownership, operation, maintenance, rehabilitation and management of facilities used for its services.  

FGES also provides facilities and services in relation to the supply and delivery of electricity, such as energy- efficiency programs.

Meanwhile, the ERC also recently granted AES Philippines  Inc. the license to operate as its ninth wholesale aggregator—which is duly authorized to sell electricity to a distribution utility (DU) or a consortium/group of DUs.

Albano said the increasing number of players in electricity industry is another welcome development for it (the industry) to become more competitive.

Albano said the other eight wholesale aggregators are Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Devt. Corp., First Cabanatuan Ventures Corp. (FCVC), Aboitiz Energy Solutions Inc. (AESI), First Gen Energy Solutions Inc.,  Angeles Power  Inc. (API), iN2Power Inc., GN Power Ltd. Co. and TeaM (Philippines) Energy Corp.

AES is a private corporation registered with the SEC on December 19, 2007, and is primarily engaged in providing energy-related products and services.  

AES is owned by AES Corp., a US-based company operating as power generator and power distributor in 28 countries.

“The ERC is glad to note the growing interest of investors in the Philippine electricity business. We hope that the growth of the industry will inspire the players to be competitive and move the electricity consumers toward a brighter future,” Albano said.

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THE auto industry is confident of continuing its strong growth in the next months despite the heightened political rumblings, especially with the stable economic fundamentals already helping its sales to increase by 14.3 percent in the first two months of the year.

SKYROCKETING world oil prices have again prompted oil companies to raise by another 50 centavos per liter the prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene, which took effect over the weekend.

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said Friday that it approved the application of the First Gen Energy Solutions Inc. (FGES) as a retail electricity supplier, even as the ERC looks forward to providing consumers the choice of where to source their power requirements.

CONSUMER advocate and businessman Raul T. Concepcion proposed Friday to revise the application of the lifeline-rate subsidy in such a way that only qualified poor residential users can avail themselves of such subsidy.

DAVAO CITY—The country’s pioneer in distributing auto-liquefied petroleum gas (auto-LPG) in the Visayas and Mindanao has offered the Office of the Vice Mayor here its autogas air-conditioned taxis for driver-beneficiaries of a livelihood project.

THE Philippines is inching closer toward achieving the status of a “mining country” as mining investments continue to pour in, despite the strong opposition to the government’s mining-revitalization program by various sectors.