The Energy Development Corp. (EDC), a subsidiary of Lopez-led First Gen Corp., recently inaugurated its new ₱7-billion Tanawon geothermal power plant in Sorsogon, marking another milestone in the country’s push toward energy security through renewable sources.
Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin led the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the 22-megawatt (MW) facility, located within EDC’s Bacon-Manito (BacMan) geothermal complex in Sorsogon. In a lighter moment during the event, Secretary Garin joined key executives and local officials for a group selfie at the site.
Among those present were Jerome Cainglet, EDC president; Victor Emmanuel B. Santos Jr., executive vice president; Francis Giles Puno, vice chairman and CEO; Sorsogon City mayor Ester Hamor; and First District congresswoman Marie Bernadette Guevara Escudero-Quirante.
The Tanawon facility is one of seven strategic growth projects jointly pursued by First Gen and EDC to strengthen the country’s renewable energy (RE) capacity. EDC’s current RE portfolio—spanning geothermal, wind, solar, and hydro—has a combined generating capacity exceeding 1,600 MW.
First Gen’s broader energy portfolio includes a 2,017 MW share in four gas-fired power plants, in partnership with Prime Infrastructure Capital. Combined, the company’s RE and low-carbon generation assets contribute over 3,600 MW to the national grid.
This latest geothermal expansion aligns with the Philippine government’s long-term goals to increase the share of clean and indigenous energy in the country’s energy mix.
