No more Blackouts in 4 years

Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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When they stop screwing the middle class and small business owners and work out how to collect from the poor barrios, then we stand a chance.

The electricity sector has enough money and generating capacity, it lacks investment and people committed to resolving the issues.

e.g. They look at the poor barrios as a problem and are doing very little in addressing this issue. Except making the people that pay, pay more!

When you give people the opportunity to pay for service, the majority want to pay providing they have service. They often steal because they have no other option. Running their own cables, living under 1 light bulb, dealing with long blackouts etc.

Look no further than the phone companies and how they have tackled the problem in regards to collection and service in poor barrios. Profits are huge and they are pouring a ton of money into poor barrios to provide collection options and service. Everyone has a phone and they all pay for service via phone cards or top up options at local super markets.

This stuff is not rocket science, many other countries have successfully tackled the problem. Look at the "estracto" system Colombia uses. Everyone has electricity and everyone pays something. It's simple and it works.

I have lost count how many times I have heard "the problem will be solved in..." Maybe the person spewing out this BS should roll up their sleeves and actual do something. I'm surprised they didn't have a "cocktail" event to accompany the announcement.
 

PabloPaul

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I hope they get "leapfrogged" out of existence somewhat like what happened with phone service. Hard lines and infrastructure lost out to cell phones and towers.
I realize this is wishful thinking, but I'm a wishful thinker, ok?
One thing powers ALL life in our world and our solar system, it is called the Sun and burning fuel to make power is just plain silly.

: p.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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As far as the poor barrios, the state supports "non-payment" by poor barrios via state subsidies to the EDEs. I don't know how is this program called. But on the other hand I hear that this exact state subsidy system IS the problem to blackouts .... I cannot understand this. If there is a subsidy by government, EDEs should have money... so what's the problem? Or would that be that the government is not paying the subsidy? I cannot imagine that because I read now and then how many billions the government spent on electricity subsidies.... so where is the truth, and what is the problem?
 
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Power companies could add another great revenue source - Internet via the Electricity Grid. It's high speed. They could add tons of money every year in revenue. But the service would need to be, first of all, 24 hours. I wouldn't want an Internet with blackouts every moment.
 

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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As far as the poor barrios, the state supports "non-payment" by poor barrios via state subsidies to the EDEs. I don't know how is this program called. But on the other hand I hear that this exact state subsidy system IS the problem to blackouts .... I cannot understand this. If there is a subsidy by government, EDEs should have money... so what's the problem? Or would that be that the government is not paying the subsidy? I cannot imagine that because I read now and then how many billions the government spent on electricity subsidies.... so where is the truth, and what is the problem?
The government pays a subsidy that covers part of the costs of electricity flowing into impoverished areas, but the problem is that the part that is supposed to be paid by the customers are not being paid, but also there is widespread theft, as everyone knows.

When the government doesn't pay the subsidies, the country is plunged into longer than usual blackouts and/or darkness for days and this did happened in the previous administration when they failed to pay the subsidy, and also, the National Palace was plunged into darkness when the palace' electric bill was not paid, as was reported at that time. So, obviously the subsidies paid by the government have plenty to do with the electricity that does reach many areas of the country. Had the subsidies not been in place, the blackouts would have been longer and/or huge swathes of the country would simply be without electricity 24/7.

The biggest problem, I think, is widespread theft and lack of investment in the grid itself for effective distribution. The potential supply of electricity available is above current demand, so that is not the problem.

Having said all of that, the EDEs have been working on a small scale in getting customers to pay for electricity and in return they get improved service, often times with little to no blackouts. Hundreds of circuits are already in this plan in many places across the DR, however they are mostly in middle class areas. Don't know if the plan can be successful in the lower class area given the prevailing attitude in those neighborhoods where residents feel that they are entitled to free continuous electricity for sole reason that they are poor.

In so many ways, that mentality, the desire of getting something for nothing, the feeling of being entitled to something without paying for it just because they are poor; is the main stumbling block in eradicating blackouts on a nationwide scale. It is possible to eradicate blackouts and in many cases its occurring, on highly localized areas (neighborhoods in Santo Domingo, Jarabacoa, Santiago, San Pedro, etc); but for a full grid recovery that persistent sentiment of entitlement needs to be addressed and eliminated.

-NALs
 
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Feb 7, 2007
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Here in Higuey about 50% of the city is on 24 hours circuits (type A circuits), now for about a week (started on the 18th of this month). Before, we had 3 hours blackouts (type B circuits), mostly in the morning hours, so by noon we were good till next day. Again, as you correctly said, this is middle-income and rich neighbourhoods. The poor barrios are still the same, with maybe 12 hours apagones (type C and D circuits) and some even more (type E circuits).

Also agree the state of grid is very bad, there are numerous "averias" that last from several minutes up to several hours. Sometimes you even have several averias in a line.
 

Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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Don't know if the plan can be successful in the lower class area given the prevailing attitude in those neighborhoods where residents feel that they are entitled to free continuous electricity for sole reason that they are poor.
-NALs

The problem is they have no means to pay or a system that makes sense.
Did they ever feel they were entitled to free phone service? Yes, people will still steal, but the majority will pay if they have the option and they receive service.

Just like the phone companies adapted and found a way, the electricity companies need to do the same. Many other countries, developed and developing offer pre-paid electricity services.

it's not like we are asking them to build a rocket to fly to Mars! Saying that, if the Government "officials" could make money off of a space program, within a year we would start seeing Dominican astronauts :)
 

Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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Robert, what is the estracto system?

Each neighborhood is rated from 1-6. 1 being the poorest and 6 being the wealthiest. Utilities, property tax etc are pegged to this number. Estracto 1 receives electricity service at a discount and estracto 6 at a premium rate. The poor are subsidized by the rich, the middle class get a fair rate and everyone is happy. Plus they get 24x7 power :)
 

Bob K

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Aug 16, 2004
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Now the government has given me something to do. Every day now i will check for flying pigs, then check my electric.

Bob K
 

MikeFisher

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Feb 28, 2006
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agree completely with Robert.
i have family in a barrio in san pedro, a short time period ago many many hrs per day no electricity. so at that moment, how you want to convince somebody(poor or rich) to make a contract with a electricity company which does not supply the service they wanna make you pay for?
they started nationwide with the new ideas to bring the electricity everywhere, they are not on a bad way, i think they understood the "service first" way to get paying customers.
of course that will not take part all over the whole country at the same time.
like NALs wrote in his detailed explanations, there are areas where the new ideas take place, in san perdo at least it is just a few hrs a day right now without electricity at the barrio and there are neighbour barrios where it went even much better, so a improvement is recognized, like Rubio wrote about Higuey.
the only way to a solution for 24/7 electricity everywhere is the pre-paid system like done with the telephones. and to run that you have to guarantee the Service, means make the neccessary big investments from the electricity providers side.
if a prepaid phone card wouldn't give you the expected amount of talking minutes you wouldn't buy again a card from that company.
the electricity providers have to prepare their service and they will be able to sell them on pre-paid bases even to the poorest barrio at the end.
of course the country needs on many places the gov's subsidies for a longer while, and the gov has to pay them, like mentioned above the missing payment been often the reason for blackouts, too.
poor people steel electricity because they don't expect to have more electricity if they would pay a thing for it. show them the service and they will pay thei pesos too to have a 24/7 running fridge/TV/Radio.
Mike
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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Where I An Now, The Power Has Not gone Off for Several Years!!!

But then I'm in Boston!:cheeky:
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I can't get laid,but if I could,I could watch!