[Hillbilly]

1) Political issues are foremost. Absolutely!! NO government is willing to take the steps necessary to collect for the electricity provided to the poorer areas or to certain "untouchables" for which we can find myriad examples: generals & other top or well entrenched officials of the armed forces; leading politicians; extremely wealthy folks etc...and some industries. Until everyone pays, there is no solution.

2) A culture of corruption which permits stealing electricity, illegal hookups or payoffs....well engrained.

3) A culture of "poverty" that says, "I am poor, therefore, the government owes me water and electricity, cheap transportation and free hospital care."

4) There are about 12 hydro dams located in the DR, and they are in pretty pitiful condition. During the PRD government there were announcements that the government had refitted them. Bullsh!t!!!Bullsh!t!! Pure bullsh!t....I just happen to know the fellow that was negotiating a contract to properly refit the electro-mechanical aspects of the hydro stations and they have yet to begin....too many hands out there looking for money...As a result, the dams are producing much less than 50% of their capacity. As Mirador correctly pointed out, a lack of environmental maintainence has allowed silt to reduce the generating capacity by an importan factor. At first, the area around Tavera and Bao were being supervised by trained agronomists who struggled with the forestry issues....but they were cancelled and the neighboring hills were stripped....EOS.

4) Nuclear? Not on your life! This is totally earthquake sustible island....nobody in their right mind would construct a nuke facility here.....Chernoble(?) would look like a picnic...

SOLUTIONS?: Short term: none

Medium term: a revamp of transmission lines, transformers, illegal hookups and non-paying clients, together with the much talked about refitting of the power generation stations at the current hydro locations. A study of possible future sites.

Long term: An absolutely huge push to reforest the mountains and regain some of the more normal rain cycles.

ITEM: The much ballyhooed coal fired generators have yet to get financing. Worse even, if they were constructing the generators, there are NO TRANSMISSION LINES TO GET THE ENERGY TO CUSTOMERS!! No Sh!t! the CDEE does not have the money to build the needed hig tension lines from the generators in

Azua and Manzanillo to the nation's power grid!!!!!!!!! OMG!! How phucked up can you get???

Outta here before i puke!

HB