Valero Grand Suites by Swiss-Belhotel (Valero Grand Suites), the 271-room upscale hotel in Makati City’s central business district, has successfully shifted its electricity supply to clean and renewable energy (RE) after forging a partnership with First Gen Corporation (First Gen), the Philippines’ leading RE company.
Valero Grand Suites’ transition of its power supply marks a significant milestone in the hotel’s long-term sustainability initiatives. It is milestone that reinforces its commitment to responsible tourism, reduced carbon emissions, and environmentally conscious hotel operations.
Valero Grand Suites and First Gen officials signed an agreement late last year for supply of electricity to the hotel from the geothermal power plant in Bicol of First Gen subsidiary Energy Development Corporation, the world’s largest vertically integrated geothermal company.
With the agreement, Valero Grand Suites has become one of the first hotels in the Makati central business district to transition to RE under the government’s Green Energy Option Program (GEOP). It joins a growing community of hospitality and business establishments committed to advancing sustainable energy use across the Philippines.
Designed to promote wider RE use, GEOP enables power consumers with an average peak demand of 100 kilowatts for the past 12 months to choose their own respective RE suppliers.
As part of its strategic direction under Swiss-Belhotel International, the Valero Grand Suites continues to pursue programs aligned with global sustainability standards.
The transition to renewable energy supports the hotel’s goal of minimizing its environmental impact, decreasing reliance on traditional fossil fuels, while contributing to national efforts toward cleaner and greener energy consumption. This initiative also reflects the evolving expectations of travelers who seek eco-friendly accommodations that maintain comfort, service excellence, and accessibility.
First Gen and its subsidiaries own and operate a portfolio of RE power plants running on geothermal, hydro, solar and wind resources. These plants have a total capacity of 1,700 megawatts (MW), making First Gen the country’s biggest RE company.
First Gen also has a 40-percent interest in four gas-fired power plants controlled by Prime Infrastructure Capital, Inc. With a total capacity of 2,017 MW, these gas plants help ensure the country’s energy supply and security.
