The ruling PLD party has taken a special interest in Congress authorizing the issue of US$2 billion in bonds for the construction of two coal-fired power generators with capacity for 600MW each, as reported in Listin Diario. If construction begins in 2009, the plants would go online in 2012. The PLD presented the bill to its legislators for channeling through Congress. The ruling party believes that this is the solution to the country's ongoing energy problems. The plants would be built in Monte Cristi and Azua.
The idea is that the coal-fired plants' lower generation costs would oblige private generation companies to negotiate lower rates. The PLD's spokesman on energy and mining issues, Antonio Herrera Cruz said, "We need a way to pressure them so that they understand that this country needs cheap energy and an end to the power outages".
The bill stipulates that the State-run Electricity Companies (CDEEE) will be responsible for acquiring, installing and maintaining the power plants. The construction plan dates back to 2006 when the government signed agreements with Emirates Power and
Chinese company Sichuan, but a lack of funds was blamed for the project not getting of the ground.
In the new power deal, the government reportedly guarantees it will purchase 90% of the energy that the plants generate, up from 50% when the construction of the two coal-fired plants was originally negotiated at the start of the first term of the Fernandez administration.

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