Can somebody explain this?

Jun 18, 2007
14,280
503
113
www.rentalmetrocountry.com
Blackouts announced for whole country
The executive vice-president of the State-owned Electricity Companies (CDEEE), Celso Marranzini, has announced a series of scheduled blackouts. He said by programming them, the blackouts would be fairer and more evenly distributed nationwide.
He said blackouts will continue because there is just not enough money to pay the generators, which are thus supplying 80% of demand. Marranzini acknowledged that some sectors are suffering 18 and 20-hour blackouts. He said the high level of debts at the CDEEE could take at least five years to be cleared.
The official asked National Police chief Guillermo Rafael Guzman Fermin, to "prevent rambunctious people from causing problems with strikes, picketing, or marches in the barrios when we announce blackouts in specific places." He said that the blackouts would be announced in newspapers ads.
Marranzini also said that the CDEEE needed US$350 million to finish the year without having to increase the electricity rates, including US$60 million for the monthly subsidy on electricity bills. He said that there is close to a billion dollars (US$1,000,000,000) in debts, and these cannot be paid in a month or in a year, and for this he asked for patience, since an IMF agreement or a bond emission would help solve the problem. Finally, he called for a 10-year strategy, which he said did not exist.
The Dominican Association of the Electricity Industry says the country needs to invest US$3.5 billion to meet demand for power into the next decade. Marco de la Rosa, president of the organization, has expressed his support for the new authorities at the CDEEE.


Above is copied from DR1's home page.
Even though having lived in Latin America for almost 15 years and having traveled extensively before, I don't understand how the above is possible and would appreciate it if somebody could explain that.
I have to pay my electricity bill every month, if I don't it gets cut off right away. I reckon that's with every one the same.
The 4 months that I lived in the Los Alcarrizos I saw the electrical company collecting on a regular basis assuming that this is also regular procedure for the whole country.
To me it would seem logical that if everything gets collected it should cover the government's bill.
Now if there's a difference what is the reason, the theft of electricity? Somebody having their hand in the cookie jar?
I probably have answered my own question but was ****es me off is that my bill has increased again!!!!
 

GringoCArlos

Retired Ussername
Jan 9, 2002
1,416
40
0
Fairer and better distrbuted to whom, Sr CDEEE - to the people who don't pay and might have huelgas in the streets???? Give 24/7 power to the people who pay, and don't give any power to those who don't might be a "fairer" decison, Sr CDEEE. And it might lead to having enough money to pay the distributors. While you're at it, cut out all of the "Sr 10%'s" in between the generators and users.

Firing more than 100 "consultants" making up to US$50k a month for their services might also be a good start, but how do you justify keeping on the other 35 consultants making the same? What exactly are they doing that is so valuable to CDEEE? That's another $1.5 million a month you could be putting towards your Billion $$ in debts, Sr CDEEE.

The distributors might be out collecting in Los Alcarrizos and other poor barrios across the country every month, but collecting what - $300 per household? Do you honestly believe that if they DO collect anything, and then DO collect $300, that this covers the true cost of luz to those households?

They may suffer 12 hours a day of blackouts, but if you go there when they have luz, every single lightbulb in every single room is on, and most other things which consume electricity - the boom box, the washing machine, all the fans, etc. even if only one person is around...

Should you ask these barrio folks why they have everything turned on, you will get one of two responses: 1) they want to get the benefit of the electricity they are paying all of their money for, and besides, they only get it for 12 hours from those co?os, so by God, they're gonna get the luz they are paying for, or 2) I have to have all of the lights on - what if a thief comes around because it's so dark without all of the lights on? A good justification for the government to pass out free fluorescent bulbs last year - to cut consumption in the barrios, but have light.

They might have fewer material possessions, but I would be willing to bet that even if they only receive electricity for 12 hours a day, each home without a meter in the poor barrios still uses 150 to 250 kwhr per month. If you or I were paying for that luz, how much would it cost? It's a lot of energy (and money) if 50% of the country in in this situation.

The bills are going to go up again, and again, and again, until a strongman comes into control of either CDEEE or the government, and stops the practices of stealing electricity by enforcing it as a criminal act equivalent to theft (from anyone including large companies who make their own arrangements to siphon off "free" electricity to run their operations) , and forces EVERYONE to have a meter. It might require building a special prison just for electricity thieves - but without a little room with Old Sparky waiting inside. Se fue la luz!
 

amparocorp

Bronze
Aug 11, 2002
900
86
0
i had for the month of august my dominican in-laws visiting me at my home in NY, mother, father, sister, brother, in laws. my electricity bill was double the july bill. this is after i ran around turning off lights in rooms no one was using and closing doors while they ran the air conditioning. some people just don't "get it".
 

Expat13

Silver
Jun 7, 2008
3,255
50
48
You could build plenty of windfarms and this would solve the problem, apparently not allowed in the Caribbean, I can understand why.
We power a massive ammount the Northeast coast of the UK via windfarms out at sea, they do look damn ugly though!!

If they did this-would it not hurt the massive busines which is the politically connected companies that represent the sales of Generators, Inversors, batteries etc. Will they stand for this drastic decline in their almost recession proof businesses.