DavidZ,
The power cables are overhead in the area you mention but a translation of the DV* 's article shows we believe are the real reasons.
Here is a bing translation :
SANTIAGO.-EDENORTE Dominican unveiled energy suspensions occurring since last weekend in several sectors of Puerto Plata, originate in, always in different lines of transmission property of the company Dominicana (ETED power transmission).
The company reported that those events have led to unexpected departures of the energy services, affecting customers and users in a part of the mentioned province in the North of the country.
He said EDENORTE Dominican that last Saturday afternoon there were breakdowns in bar 69 kV substation Puerto Plata and Puerto Plata I-San Marcos, and Puerto Plata I-Playa Golden lines, on Saturday afternoon and Sunday night.
He reiterated that those were the main reasons for the departure of service in all the urban area of the municipality of Puerto Plata last weekend.
In addition to these faults, since recorded plenty of shots of the beach Dorada-Aeropuerto line, which has affected the service of the communities of Montellano, the aviation, Sosua, Cabarete, Sabaneta and Gaspar Hern?ndez.
These shots have also affected the operations of the substation from the Gregorio Luperon international airport, in addition to the substation of Madre Vieja, belonging to Corporation of the aqueduct y Alcantarillado de Puerto Plata (CORAAPLATA) by which the entire water supply has also been affected.
EDENORTE Dominican expressed, along with Dominican power transmission company of company technicians, working in the solution of such problems, and that he expects to solve them in the shortest possible time.
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It would appear they had multiple Sub-Station faults as well as some Transmission Faults .
This all suggests to the Electrical Engineer in the Team of overloading of the Transformers on the 69kV Substations. This problem is not going to go away if the Transformers are damaged.
It is an interesting problem and as David you say getting rediculous.
Even those with invertors have been stuggleling to keep the batteries charged.
Back to the bad old days!
Olly and the Team