More McDonald’s stores secure competitive electricity rates

MANILA, Philippines — McDonald’s Philippines has expanded its participation in the retail power market, with at least 36 stores in Cebu and Negros Island set to gain access to competitive electricity rates.

The multinational fast-food chain has tapped Vivant Energy’s COREnergy to facilitate the enrollment of its stores to the government’s power of choice programs.

Of the total, 32 stores will participate in the retail aggregation program (RAP), which enables small electricity users to pool their demand to meet the minimum threshold required to negotiate with their preferred power supplier.

The remaining stores will be enrolled individually under the retail competition and open access program, which allows eligible consumers to directly enter into power supply contracts.

As it continues to expand its presence in the Visayas, McDonald’s Philippines managing director Margot Torres underscored the importance of optimizing restaurant operations to support long-term growth.

“Electricity is one of the largest operating costs in our business. By working with COREnergy, we can better manage this expense and build more energy-efficient restaurants as we grow,” Torres said.

The partnership is expected to reduce participating restaurants’ power costs by around 10 percent while providing greater cost certainty through fixed rates over a two-year period.

The arrangement will also support the increased adoption of renewable energy, with 10 to 15 percent of electricity supply sourced from solar power.

“Businesses continue to navigate a changing energy environment, making greater choice and cost predictability increasingly important,” COREnergy president Francis del Val said.

Earlier, more than 200 McDonald’s stores across Luzon switched to RAP through EvoEnergi, an affiliate of the Lao family’s D&L Industries Inc.

By year-end, McDonald’s Philippines expects approximately 64 percent of its restaurant portfolio to transition under RAP.

“By managing significant expenses such as electricity more strategically, we can support the long-term sustainability of both our company-owned and franchise restaurants,” Torres said.