Two education institutions under SM Prime Holdings, National University (NU) and Asia Pacific College (APC), have officially joined the Retail Aggregation Program (RAP), becoming the latest in the education sector to shift to retail electricity supply for more affordable and controllable power.

A ceremonial signing was held Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Pasig City with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), SM Prime Holdings, and power supplier AdventPower. ERC Chairperson and CEO Monalisa Dimalanta and Market Operations Service Director Sharon O. Montañer witnessed the signing.

Under the new agreement, SM Prime will aggregate a total demand of 967.13 kilowatts (kW) from APC and three NU buildings in Manila. NU has also announced plans to eventually include up to 40 sites nationwide.

The move follows the Philippine Cultural College’s (PCC) adoption of RAP in March 2025, which covered 740 kW across five facilities in Quezon City, Manila, and Caloocan.

“The objective of RAP goes beyond lowering costs of power use in their facilities,” Dimalanta said during the ceremony. “It is also about reinvesting those savings in things that truly matter: better classrooms, smarter technology, improved facilities, and potentially, even more affordable tuition.”

Dimalanta further emphasized the significance of energy choice: “Let us remember that electricity is more than just a utility we pay for – it is a good or a service (in more ways than one) we are empowered to choose. What good would you like your choice today to contribute? What service does your choice make in our nation’s evolving energy journey?”

As RAP gains momentum in the academe, sector leaders are watching closely how this shift will impact institutional sustainability and energy demand dynamics.

What’s your take on RAP adoption by large educational institutions? Join the discussion!

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