The Manila Electric Company (Meralco), led by business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, is ramping up investments in its power distribution infrastructure to support the seamless integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), reinforcing its corporate role in the country’s ongoing energy transition.
Speaking at the Berde Renewables Collaboration Summit 2025, Meralco first vice president and head of networks Froilan J. Savet outlined the utility’s comprehensive modernization strategy to accommodate technologies such as solar rooftops, battery storage systems, electric vehicles, and microgrids.
Savet emphasized the critical role of distribution utilities in managing the shift from centralized to decentralized power flows. “We are not just distributing power to homes and businesses. We are now enabling a clean, flexible, and intelligent energy system toward a decentralized grid,” he said.
Under its grid modernization program, Meralco is implementing a 4-I Framework: Integration, Innovation, Intelligence, and Interoperability. The strategy aims to ensure DERs bolster rather than burden the grid, leveraging AI for operational intelligence, adopting advanced technologies like grid-forming inverters, and ensuring cross-platform compatibility with enhanced cybersecurity.
The company is also investing in workforce upskilling and collaborating with regulators to align with national energy policy.
The initiative highlights Meralco’s commercial shift from being a traditional power distributor to becoming an enabler of smart energy ecosystems—positioning the utility at the forefront of clean energy infrastructure in the region.
