NewsWhore
09-11-2009, 06:20 PM
The solution to the financial and distribution problems that plague the DR's electricity sector require a sustained investment of US$600 million over the next 4 years, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Development, Temistocles Montas said yesterday. The minister said that a substantial part of these resources would go towards protecting transmission lines to prevent energy theft through illegal connections and the acquisition of prepaid electricity meters by the distributors.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has already facilitated credit for US$150 million for this purpose, but a similar sum will be needed over the next 3 years in order for the sector to achieve financial sustainability, said Montas.
"The big problem of the electricity business in the DR is that nearly half the population that consumes electricity does not pay for it, and therefore, it is a lose-lose situation. You install two electric meters and collect on just one, and that way you cannot tackle the problem", he added.
Interviewed on the morning television talk show Diario Libre AM, Montas said that the current problem is based on the vulnerability of the transmission lines, which does not allow for prepaid electric meters, because people will continue to use illegal connections. "First the transmission lines need to be shielded", he stated. "For a long time it has been clear that if an investment process is developed in the area of distribution, it will be easy to solve the problem of the electricity sector", he pointed out.
It has been estimated that 1.6 million homes are electricity users but not clients and it will be necessary to shield the networks, especially in the most vulnerable residential areas in order to prevent illegal connections, where there is a need to install prepaid electric meters.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has already facilitated credit for US$150 million for this purpose, but a similar sum will be needed over the next 3 years in order for the sector to achieve financial sustainability, said Montas.
"The big problem of the electricity business in the DR is that nearly half the population that consumes electricity does not pay for it, and therefore, it is a lose-lose situation. You install two electric meters and collect on just one, and that way you cannot tackle the problem", he added.
Interviewed on the morning television talk show Diario Libre AM, Montas said that the current problem is based on the vulnerability of the transmission lines, which does not allow for prepaid electric meters, because people will continue to use illegal connections. "First the transmission lines need to be shielded", he stated. "For a long time it has been clear that if an investment process is developed in the area of distribution, it will be easy to solve the problem of the electricity sector", he pointed out.
It has been estimated that 1.6 million homes are electricity users but not clients and it will be necessary to shield the networks, especially in the most vulnerable residential areas in order to prevent illegal connections, where there is a need to install prepaid electric meters.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)