CEBU CITY – A power generation and distribution firm is strongly urging the government to fast-track the implementing guidelines for the “green electricity” systems to guide suppliers and investors in pushing for the use of renewable sources of energy.

Erramon Aboitiz, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of power generation firm Aboitiz Power (AP), said the company is set to extensively promote its own brand of clean and renewable power, Cleanergy, after it foresees a long-term demand for “green electricity” coming from household consumers.

At present, however, the company is still awaiting for the Department of Energy (DoE) to draft the policy guidelines.

Aboitiz said consumers can avail of these “green electricity” sources once the open-access system is implemented which allows consumers to readily demand what type of energy source they want to  use.

“The end-user can actually advise their electricity supplier on which kind of energy they want. If they say they want Cleanergy, then it’s available. The problem now is that guidelines for this new form of energy are not yet set,” Aboitiz said, on the sidelines of the One Cebu Business and Sustainability Summit held here on Monday.

“The whole Renewable Energy Bill is what we are all waiting for so that we can truly capitalize on our renewable energy sources. Power distribution companies like VECO (Visayan Electric Company) expressed their strong interest on the plan because there are really customers who want to pay extra for clean power,” he noted.

Cleanergy, conceptualized in 2001 is an energy solution harnessed from the company’s hydro and geothermal generation assets that will give consumers an option to reduce their carbon footprint.

AP’s hydroelectric power generation facilities include the 175-megawatt (mW) Ambuklao-Binga hydroelectric complex in Benguet and the 360-mW Magat Plant in Isabela, both joint ventures with SN Power AS of Norway; and the 70-mW Bakun Hydro Plant in Ilocos Sur, a joint venture with Pacific Hydro Limited of Australia, and 15 mini-hydro plants run by Hedcor, Inc., in Benguet and Davao City, with combined generating capacity of 38.2-mW.

As this developed, exporter Pete Delantar of Nature’s Legacy said exporters who produce “green products” or eco-friendly products are ready to maximize the use of “green power” to serve the $600 billion green market worldwide.

According to Delantar, utilizing "green electricity" can provide benefits to exporters not only for social responsibility acts, but more importantly, because the market now is demanding for products that are processed via sustainable operations, including the use of "green power or green electricity."

His furniture and fashion accessories company for instance is importing a Solar-Powered-Fountain in order to adopt a total sustainable operation, with the use of imported renewable power, in the absence of green electricity availability in the country.

“There is a bigger demand for eco-friendly products in the global market. Having a Cleanergy brand logo in our products is an added advantage, especially that consumers now are keen on buying products branded as eco-friendly,” he said.