The Association for Tourism Development in Juan Dolio and Guayacanes is fighting a project to install an oil off-loading buoy near the coast of these beach resort areas. The project, originally requested by the Dominican Electricity Corporation (CDE) and already approved by the Dominican Government, would allow off-loading of No. 2 petroleum at a buoy some 600 meters offshore, for transport by underwater pipeline to a storage facility serving a new 300 megawatt electricity generation plant in San Pedro de Macor?s. The buoy-pipeline project is being constructed by Cogentrix Energy and the Commonwealth Development Corporation. The Association has written to the Tourism Ministry and the SPM Mayor protesting the project. They say that while they wholeheartedly support resolving the electricity problem, they fear that the buoy puts at risk all the investments made to make Juan Dolio and Guayacanes attractive tourist destinations.
