With the price of electricity in the Dominican spot market about 7 cents per kw/h, they are pretty much useless except for keeping down some bird populations. 7 cents per kw/h probably does not even cover the maintenance on those suckers, not to speak of capital costs.
Still, so much better than those coal-fired power stations they are building.
Think where the money stays and doesn't have to be exported.
It could be higher and yet benefits the local economy in the long term. The whole point is not just to create a cheaper means of producing electricity, but halting the import of non-renewable sources to do it. Leaving all that capital circulating in a loop within the local economy and also using renewable sources to that end.
Every 1% helps the end game = Energy independence! Capital stays home and grows the local economy in the billions of U.S. Dollars.
Coal fired power stations that are designed to be fitted to also burn other renewable raw materials down the line!
Again, the end game is all you have to think about when you see these.
We also have coal in the DR, but we yet don't have the installed capacity to extract it in the amounts needed to feed these ones.
It's all a long term project that seeks to free-up the DR from raw material for energy generation imports.
This long term plan also includes efficiency appliances and energy saving guidelines that will be introduced in steps.
Just banning 100% the manufacture, sales and use of incandescent bulbs would have a huge impact on energy wasted in the country to name just one.
All gov buildings are being fitted to use solar energy and efficient lighting. It takes time and money to implement.
good article... T Boone knows a thing or two about energy. Wind energy certainly would not hurt here on the island but cheap cheap natural gas in north America makes it only attractive to the hard core environmentalists. He predicted that oil would break 100 dollars a barrel and predicted its subsequent collapse. He has said oil will remain cheap or inexpensive for the next 15 years.
Anyway , ya gotta give credit to a guy who donates 100 million dollars to his alma-mater (Oklahoma State) so they can build a new football stadium. He definitely has an inside track on the keystone pipe line, he and his buddy Jerry(dallas cowboys) Jones
PICHARDO, can you tell us about the renewable raw materials the coal plants can be retrofitted to burn..
Pellets
maybe you would care to divulge which pellets these may be....