MPower to supply power to 60 Starbucks stores in Metro Manila

MPOWER, the retail electricity supplier of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), said it will provide electricity supply to 60 Starbucks stores in Metro Manila under the retail aggregation program (RAP).

Rustan Coffee Corp. (RCOC), the authorized licensee of Starbucks in the Philippines, pooled the demand of 60 stores with a combined load of over 3 megawatts (MW) to enroll in RAP, MPower said in a statement on Tuesday.

“In today’s evolving business environment, it is important for companies like ours to continue exploring ways to operate more efficiently,” RCOC President Noey Tantoco Lopez said. “Since transitioning, we have begun to see initial savings in our electricity costs.”

The initiative complements RCOC’s in-store practices, including water-saving fixtures, 100% LED lighting, energy-efficient air-conditioning systems, and improved waste management.

Under RAP, qualified end-users may combine their power demand to access more competitive electricity rates directly from suppliers such as MPower.

“By pioneering RAP within the food and beverage sector, it demonstrates how businesses with multiple facilities can access the benefits of the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) framework,” Meralco Senior Vice-President and Head of MPower Redel M. Domingo said.

MPower said the enrollment of Starbucks stores under RAP, which began in November last year, will enable cost optimization while supporting sustainable growth.

Starbucks started operations in the Philippines in 1997 and has since expanded to more than 500 stores.

MPower holds more than a 35% share of the competitive retail electricity market within Meralco’s franchise area. It serves contestable customers, including large corporations.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc.

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