PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc. are making strides in renewable energy by opting for geothermal power in seven of their Visayas facilities.

PLDT and Smart have partnered with First Gen Corporation to power seven of their facilities with geothermal energy. These facilities, situated in Cebu, Samar, Capiz, and Iloilo, will obtain their renewable energy from Energy Development Corporation (EDC), First Gen’s renewable energy arm.

“This geothermal switch will allow us to save around P27 million in electricity costs on an annual basis for our seven (7) facilities in the Visayas.” PLDT and Smart’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Head of Investor Relations, and First Vice President, Melissa Vergel de Dios, said

She further explained that deciding to switch to RE supports their decarbonization roadmap and reduces their emissions by 16 thousand tons this year, which amounts to 26% of their total target emissions reduction for 2023.

The telcos, along with First Gen, are further exploring the possibility of expanding their geothermal energy use for more of their sites, including data centers, in the Philippines.

“We have committed to make Sustainability part of the way we operate and shall remain steadfast in delivering on our decarbonization targets,” PLDT and Smart President and Chief Executive Officer Alfredo S. Panlilio shared.

First Gen’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Giles B. Puno, claimed, “In 2016, we made the decision to close our doors to coal-fired power plants to keep our energy portfolio clean and green. It was one of the most significant business decisions we made to show how serious we are in pursuing our decarbonization mission.”

In 2022, PLDT and Smart announced their decarbonization plan, which aims to cut down their Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. This plan involves transitioning to sustainable energy sources and adopting green technology solutions to power their network facilities, data centers, and operational sites nationwide.