NewsWhore
07-22-2008, 04:40 PM
Last night President Leonel Fernandez was present at a formal ceremony marking the start of the low consumption light bulb program (PSB), which will replace 10 million high-consumption bulbs with 10 million low-consumption bulbs. The government has already distributed low-consumption bulbs in low income barrios in the past, but this time around the program got headlines.
The effort was included in the President's energy saving measures, announced in his address to the nation last week. To start with, three million 18-watt and seven million 14-watt bulbs are available for areas under the Blackout Reduction Program (PRA), primarily low-income neighborhoods with fixed electricity bills. An additional seven million bulbs will be distributed later to areas where EdeSur, EdeEste and EdeNorte are in charge of billing for power. The Cuban-manufactured bulbs were purchased for US$18.5 million, but according to State-run Electricity Companies (CDEEE) vice president Radhames Segura, who is in charge of the program, the investment will be recouped in five months. According to Fernandez, the bulbs will save the nation US$13,401,699 during the first year and an estimated US$31 million in the second year.
The ceremony took place at the CDEEE headquarters. Hoy writes that the actual program begins tomorrow when a 1,000-man brigade will visit homes to replace the high-consumption bulbs. Segura said that 840,000 families who live in Blackout Reduction Program (PRA) areas will directly benefit from the program. Segura also said that in total, users will save an estimated RD$2 billion yearly with their new bulbs.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
The effort was included in the President's energy saving measures, announced in his address to the nation last week. To start with, three million 18-watt and seven million 14-watt bulbs are available for areas under the Blackout Reduction Program (PRA), primarily low-income neighborhoods with fixed electricity bills. An additional seven million bulbs will be distributed later to areas where EdeSur, EdeEste and EdeNorte are in charge of billing for power. The Cuban-manufactured bulbs were purchased for US$18.5 million, but according to State-run Electricity Companies (CDEEE) vice president Radhames Segura, who is in charge of the program, the investment will be recouped in five months. According to Fernandez, the bulbs will save the nation US$13,401,699 during the first year and an estimated US$31 million in the second year.
The ceremony took place at the CDEEE headquarters. Hoy writes that the actual program begins tomorrow when a 1,000-man brigade will visit homes to replace the high-consumption bulbs. Segura said that 840,000 families who live in Blackout Reduction Program (PRA) areas will directly benefit from the program. Segura also said that in total, users will save an estimated RD$2 billion yearly with their new bulbs.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)