AdventEnergy, Inc, a wholly-owned unit of Aboitiz Power Corporation, has secured a wholesale aggregator (WA) license from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) enabling it to serve the electricity requirements of locators in a Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) jurisdiction.

According to Aboitiz Power senior vice president Luis Miguel Aboitiz, the company’s foray into extending service as wholesale aggregator will start once the open access regime in the industry finally kicks in.

Open access is so far one of the most long-awaited developments in the industry as this is the regulatory course that will finally give consumers the ‘power of choice’ as to their preferred electricity suppliers. Hopes are also high that this will bring in efficiencies that in turn will help end-user pare down their electricity bills.

The legal requirements to merit the implementation of open access include 70 percent privatization of the National Power Corporation’s generating assets as well as its power supply contracts. Of the two, the second pre-condition has yet to be accomplished with timelines set until first half of 2010.

“The license will basically allow us to serve customers in PEZA-registered zones when open access is permitted,” Aboitiz explained.