CADIZ City in Negros Occidental has emerged as one of the most dynamic cities in the Visayas. Blessed with abundant land and rich marine resources, this billionaire first-class component city continues to unlock vast economic opportunities.
Covering 524.57 square kilometers, or 52,457 hectares, Cadiz truly lives up to its investment tagline, “Land of Splendid Opportunities.” Today, it is steadily earning another distinction: becoming the renewable energy capital of Negros Occidental — and perhaps even of the Visayas.
On July 24, Cadiz City and Aboitiz Renewables Inc. broke ground for a 239-megawatt-peak (MWp) solar power plant and a 65-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Barangay Luna. Both facilities are expected to become operational within 14 months.
These projects are far from ordinary. The Luna Solar project, Aboitiz Renewables’ third facility in Negros Occidental after San Carlos City and Calatrava, is expected to become the largest solar power plant in the Visayas, according to company president Jimmy Villaroman.
P50-BILLION INVESTMENT
So why is Cadiz now being called a power(ful) city?
Beyond the Luna project, Cadiz already hosts the 132-MW Helios Solar Power Plant in Barangay Tinampaan, commissioned in 2015 and once recognized as Southeast Asia’s largest in terms of actual deliverable power.
Once the Luna and Helios facilities operate together, Cadiz will have the biggest renewable energy generation capacity in the Visayas.
Aboitiz Renewables also plans another solar farm in Barangay Magsaysay. Altogether, the company is investing about P50 billion in power projects in Cadiz, according to Mayor Salvador “Bading” Escalante Jr.
Another developer, Zonal Renewables Corp. in partnership with A.M. Hijos Inc., is also preparing to build a 100-MW floating solar farm on a 90-hectare fishpond property in Barangay Tinampaan — the first project of its kind in the Visayas and Mindanao.
BEYOND AGRICULTURE
Mayor Escalante aptly described these investments as proof that Cadiz has the capacity to grow beyond agriculture.
The city is positioning itself as a leader in renewable energy while promoting technological innovation, environmental sustainability, and long-term energy security. In doing so, Cadiz is making a significant contribution to the country’s clean energy transition.
The Department of Energy (DOE) aims to achieve an energy mix of 35 percent renewable energy and 65 percent fossil fuels. Although the goal is ambitious, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has expressed confidence that the Philippines can harness more indigenous and sustainable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower.
ENERGY POVERTY
Renewable energy development also plays a crucial role in addressing energy poverty. Data from Chemical Engineering Transactions, adopted by the DOE, indicate that about 1.7 million Filipino households still have no electricity.
In central Negros Occidental alone, around 1,600 households in remote communities remain without power, according to Negros Power.
The persistence of energy poverty is often linked to systemic governance issues, including political protection of underperforming electric cooperatives and long-standing structural weaknesses.
NOBLE PURSUIT
How can renewable energy projects help solve energy poverty despite political challenges?
Energy experts say renewable energy offers a practical solution by providing decentralized electricity, lowering power costs, creating local jobs, and extending electricity to remote communities where traditional grid expansion is costly.
Solar farms can reach isolated villages and islands, empower small businesses, and improve health and education through reliable electricity.
That is where Cadiz and Mayor Escalante’s vision becomes significant. Hosting renewable energy projects is more than an economic opportunity — it is a noble undertaking that benefits generations to come.
Thomas Edison once said: “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”
Those words strongly resonate with what Cadiz is pursuing today.
Transforming Cadiz into a power(ful) city is more than a development strategy. It is an honorable mission to empower communities and reduce energy poverty through clean, sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy — now and in the future./PN
