Promises, promises

[NewsWhore]

Radhames Segura, the executive vice-president of the Dominican Corporation of State-owned Electricity Enterprises, better known as CDEEE, is reassuring the country that there will be fewer blackouts later this month. He said that this would be due to lower temperatures, increased hydroelectric generation and greater use of the low-consumption light bulbs. Segura said that lower petroleum prices would have a favorable impact on electricity bills in November, December, January and February. He added that the recent rains have filled the reservoirs, allowing for more power from the hydro-generators, which also leads to fuel savings. Segura said that another element that helps is that the second phase of the program to place low consumption light bulbs in as many houses as possible will produce less demand and lower consumption. He said that they have already changed three million light bulbs and this month another five million will arrive. Asked about the CDEEE's debt with the generators, he said that the US$364 million debt is mostly due to the increase in fuel prices. He said that as of next month fuel bills will go down, but he did not say by how much. Segura compared the bills from the generators for the first nine months of this year to last year, and pointed out the difference of more than US$380 million. Segura added that problems with payments are exclusively due to higher fuel prices.

More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)