Developments in the DR

[PICHARDO]

Miami, Feb 2, 2009 (EFE via COMTEX)-- U.S. firm Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. and the government of the Dominican Republic signed an accord for the installation of the first solar energy plant in the Caribbean nation, the company said Monday.

Sunovia CEO Carl Smith said in a communique that Dominican President Leonel Fernandez has shown "a tremendous passion for solving the country's energy difficulties."

Dominican officials, according to Smith, understand "that having a bilateral focus, including the responsible production of renewable energy, (and adopting) practices that conserve energy are critical steps that must be taken if the country is to achieve energy independence in the long term.

The agreement, regulated by the Dominican law of incentives for foreign investment, calls for an investment of some $200 million and will create jobs for around 2,500 workers.

For his part, Eddy Martinez, executive director of the Dominican Republic Export and Investment Center, said that the accord is the result of an attempt the Caribbean nation has made for years to reduce its dependence on oil.

"And at the same time, create new jobs and attract new investment to the island," he said.

The contract with the Sarasota, Florida-based Sunovia is part of a wave of new investment in renewable energy in the Dominican Republic, Martinez said.

Taking part are other U.S. companies like Masada Resource Group, STC Engineering and Burbano Recycling, which have established plants for generating electric power and making biofuels in the Dominican Republic.

Martinez said that his country not only wishes to attract investors in renewable energy, but also seeks to increase investment in the sectors of stem-cell research, genetically modified foods and the development of hybrid vehicles. EFE

Source: SUNV U.S. firm to build solar energy plant in D.R.



Also the DR gov contracted with the Masada Resource Group to place several plants in the country, using the commercial CES OxyNol process.

This system transforms municipal solid waste (MSW), waste water and sewer sludge to market-grade fuel ethanol and other commercial byproducts like Gypsum (cement industry, fertilizers, construction industry, binders), CO2 (food and chemical industries), Fly Ash (cement industry) and others. The entire process is environmentally safe while creating large demand for the output.

Also the DR is actively engaged in talks with representatives from Florida, whom are very interested in investing funds to secure ethanol supplies to the State from the DR.

A large scale ethanol powered electrical generator is also under planning and development in the DR, via the contractor with ample experience in the field.

The DR also hired an engineer group to inspect/outline and provide a report in the seismic stability of our existent infrastructures. The firm is from San Francisco, California with an extended experience on the field.

Solar panels will be manufacture in the country under contract with several international suppliers. A draft is in the process that will require new commercial/residential construction/designs to incorporate energy savings technologies to the fullest. The same is also true for all electrical devices that enter the country and are manufactured in the DR.

[MikeFisher]

that's great news,
and they should hurry up,
'cause the Metro started to run and that enertgy consume is a blast, we need those energies urgently befor our ole diesel plants go 3ft down.
Mike

[PICHARDO]

The DR gov compromised to end subsidy to electrical sector for 2010 at National Summit.

The vice president of the Dominican Corporation of State Electric Businesses (CDEEE), Radhames Segura, compromised in the Summit for the national Unity set against the World Economic Crisis to apply a technical rate to the electric service, from June 30, 2010.

The technical rate consists in the billing of the electric service without subsidies or funds of stabilization, for which the users in general level, will pay in base to the actual costs of energy production, without protectionist intervention of the Dominican State.

"Once the Supervisory of Electricity (SIE) carries out the collection on a technical rate, the users will have to adhered to the constant changes of the prices of the fuels and of the exchange rate, to receive the same fluctuations in the payments of its receipts", said Segura.

The businessmen, generators of electricity, merchants and political parties declared in agreement with the proposal that had been done in principle by the business sector, but the Foundation for the consumer Rights (Fundecom) conditioned its support to that the State put out to bid in a correct way the purchase of energy to the generating businesses.

Source: Listin Diario

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~


The truth is that this was on the agenda long ago, as I explained that enforcing and penalizing electricity theft was going to be in full force as well as the installation of prepaid meters in those homes that can't sustain an open billing for energy they consume and can't afford by virtue of disparaged usage.

This will clear billions of Pesos from the gov spending to support the historic free-for-all, which was instituted by presidential decree under the Trujillo regime.

Same goes for Gas, water, sewage and all other basic services that a minority had to foot the bill, while others used and misused the services w/o paying a penny for them.

The subsidies to these sectors represent a huge percentage of the internal expenditure for the gov's coffers. That money will now fund other sectors that must be addressed as they should.

Just as with our Banking, RE and Industrial sectors, this will make those services become stronger and reliable to our needs and efficient as they should be since day one.

Very simply put, if you own a home today is b/c you could afford to do so. If you drive a car while making the financing payments is b/c you could afford to. If you expect to run your A/C and watch TV around the clock, then sure as hell you should be able to afford such and not at the cost of others.

We pay the highest electrical rates b/c only a minority pays for the services they receive. Generators always must keep lines of credit open, in order to be able to purchase the raw materials to produce that energy that seldom is paid for within 90 days, let alone as any normal industry does in a 30 day cycle...

And that's IF the gov had the money to pay for the free loaders to begin with!

I told you here before... Things will improve as services will meet the needs of the public, the paying the public. The role of the gov is going to be redefine to what, how and where it must intervene for the welfare of those that can't meet the most basic of necessities. We have plenty social programs to deal with these kinds of cases effectively. We need less gov intervention in our private enterprises and should place the burden on each local municipality to act upon their denizens needs.

The Gov shouldn't be micromanaging the municipalities or funding their base, it must up to their own local device that they should raise the funding to meet local needs via local added VATs. The role of the Gov must be that of a Federal authority where national uniform laws and rules are enforced. Even the construction, maintenance and control of our major road networks should be removed from gov hands. We can place the needs of our road systems in the hands of private enterprise, while keeping the gov's to that of a strict supervisory role.

Placing toll booths in our regional/national road network would in fact provide the people with safe/illuminated/expanded and properly maintained road networks.
That's all w/o touching the funds of gov that should be directed to other imperative needs.

[MikeFisher]

today we are talking the same language.
Mike

[Texas Bill]

Pichardo;

You have vocalized ALL that we have been saying over the past 8 years.

The summation presented is correct, but the problem will be in implementing such a reasonable course of action.
Do you REALLY believe that the various Ministerys are agoing to letgo of the power they weild over their individual segments of the government and relagate that to the private sector or to local governments? If you believe that, then you should enter a bid for theat bridge in Brooklyn that has been up for sale for these many years.
I can't forsee ANY Government employee giving up their elevated remuneration, their freebies andtheir other take-home's from thepublic cofferswithout a knock-down, drag-out fight to the bitter end.
You can paint a very pretty picture, but you know what will happen when the Central Government starts trying to shed it's authority and control over the provinces. There'll be MAYHEM in the rank and file of ALL political parties and an absolute refusal to comply by all.

Texas Bill