Santo Domingo – President Luis Abinader, in his fourth accountability speech, announced that blackouts in the country have been curtailed. He stated that the Energy Distribution Companies now meet 98% of the nation’s electricity requirements, thus ending the periods of power outages due to the State’s previous financial liabilities.
While acknowledging that there’s still significant progress to be made, the President noted that his administration has strengthened the nation’s power sector, introducing hundreds of megawatts into the system in under four years.
He emphasized, “In distribution, we acknowledge the need for financial and technical improvements. However, with 98% of energy demand being serviced through electricity distributors, financial blackouts are now a thing of the past in our country.”
President Abinader also outlined his government’s strategies to enhance this sector, one of the most criticized in recent years.
“Our energy policies focus on five key areas; expanding the power generation park, modernizing the transmission system, improving distribution company operations, promoting renewable energy production, and updating the legal and regulatory framework of the electricity sector,” he further explained.
President Abinader confirmed that Energy Distribution Companies meet 98% of local power needs.
He highlighted Dominican Republic’s growth in distribution capacity. This includes adding 2,000 megawatts, solely from thermal generation.
“Our policy is demonstrated by our public tender for 800 new megawatts announced last November, along with 800 megawatts tendered in 2021, and another 400 megawatts in 2021. Altogether, we have tendered 2,000 new megawatts of thermal generation, setting a historic precedence in the Dominican Republic’s public electricity sector,” he said.
Comparing his administration’s accomplishments with the previous ones, Abinader noted that his administration sparked the production of 273 new megawatts of renewable energy in 2023 out of the total 570 MW installed under his supervision.
In terms of financial impacts, the governor stated their actions resulted in fossil fuel consumption reduction in power production, saving roughly $280 million.
Moreover, he revealed that 26 projects are currently underway, which will generate 1,451 new megawatts beginning in 2024 and 2025.
“Our country is undergoing extensive transformation and modernization in power generation. The main goal is to equip our electrical system with a standby cold generation reserve that accounts for 15% or 20% of maximum annual power demand. By leveraging different types of power plants and renewable sources, we aim to ensure energy supply security in the event of any global disruptions,” he emphasized.
President Abinader reaffirmed his dedication to modernizing the energy sector during his speech.
He also acknowledged the positive impact his governance has had on overseas investment – a key driver in mobilizing millions of dollars for projects in the Dominican Republic.
“Within this strategy’s framework, the government has successfully attracted significant domestic and international capital to support energy projects. Last year, the energy sector led foreign direct investment in the Dominican economy, totaling US$826.9 million as of September, according to the Central Bank. Final figures are expected to show total investment surpassing one billion dollars, a significant milestone for this sector,” the President stated.
These remarks were made during his 180th Dominican Independence anniversary address, his final delivery for this term.