First Gen celebrates 50 years of geothermal power operations in the Philippines
50th anniversary celebration of Energy Development Corporation / First Gen Renewables Geothermal (source: First Gen)
Carlo Cariaga
9 Mar 2026
First Gen marks the 50th year milestone of its geothermal power operations in the Philippines with a message of boldness and a unified corporate brand.
First Gen Corporation (First Gen) has celebrated the 50th anniversary of its subsidiary and geothermal power developer and operator, Energy Development Corporation (EDC). The celebration also marks the consolidation of all the power generating assets of First Gen under a unified brand, “First Gen Renewables.”
Founded as a state-owned corporation in 1976, EDC was created by Presidential Decree 927 amidst the oil crisis with the aim of developing geothermal power and reducing the Philippines’ dependence on imported oil. The company’s geothermal projects started with the development of the Tongonan and Palinpinon fields in 1983, in the Leyte and Southern Negros sites, respectively. By the mid-1980s, the Philippines was considered one of the global leaders in geothermal energy.
In 2007, EDC was privatized by the government and became a subsidiary of First Gen.
“From the very beginning, the mandate of EDC was clear: harness indigenous resources and develop homegrown power supply that will make the country’s energy grid resilient and secure,” said First Gen Chairman Federico Lopez.
“EDC has been integral to First Gen’s credibility as a clean energy leader and we are proud of this landmark in our country’s renewable energy journey.”
Jerome Cainglet, President and COO of EDC, cited the growth of the company’s installed capacity in just the past four years. These milestones included the operations of the Mindanao 3 binary power plant in 2022, the Palayan Bayan binary power plant in 2024, the Tanawon and Mahanagdong binary power plant in 2025, and the battery energy storage systems in Bacman, Tongonan, and Southern Negros.
A message of boldness
During his speech at the ceremony, First Gen President Francis Giles Puno emphasized that developing geothermal projects is not for the faint of heart. Thus, the journey of EDC can be described with one characteristic – boldness.
This is demonstrated in the company’s willingness to work with uncertainty that is inherent in geothermal exploration. Developing geothermal projects also requires large capital that has to be committed many years before any returns are realized. The company knows that success in geothermal is earned not only through diligence and continuous learning, but also through expensive trials, setbacks, and mistakes.
To date, First Gen has invested over Php 200 billion (approx. USD 11.2 billion) in exploration, drilling, plant developments, operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation across their geothermal portfolio. It currently operates about 1400 MW of geothermal capacity across the Philippines, providing firm baseload capacity that also enables other renewable energy sources, including solar and wind.
The commitment to geothermal has also extended to international frontiers, most notably First Gen’s partnership with the Sinar Mas Group in Indonesia. Through the partnership, First Gen brings Philippine expertise to one of the world’s most resource-rich geothermal markets and a portfolio of up to 440 MW of new geothermal capacity.
Geothermal as a solid foundation for renewables portfolio
With the same principle of boldness, the branding consolidation centers geothermal as the foundation of First Gen’s renewable power portfolio. The “First Gen Renewables” brand now incorporates all of First Gen’s power generating assets – a total of 28 solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal facilities.
“This step is about clarity for our employees, partners, customers, and the communities we serve about who we are, what we stand for, and how we work together,” said First Gen President Giles Puno, “It reinforces how we actually operated – integrated, disciplined, and focused on delivering reliable solutions grounded on operating realities because we are committed to being a trusted energy partner.”
Source: Email correspondence
