The government promises reliefs from the blackouts come the end of the month. The government announced it reached an agreement with Dominican Power Partners and Smith-Enron, the two largest private generators, and that these have committed to reconnect their plants to the national power grid this month. Their returning to the system would end the long blackouts Dominicans have had to endure. The government owes these companies upwards of US$104 million. The government announced that initial relief will be felt this week. Dominican Power Partners is scheduled to go back online tomorrow with a plant that generates 105,000 kilowatts, and another plant is scheduled to go online over the weekend. The Smith-Enron power plant should be generating 185,000 kilowatts by 28 February, company general manager, Kevin Manning told the Listín Diario. In the meeting with the private generators held at the National Palace in the presence of President Leonel Fernández, the government also gave special powers to the Superintendence of Electricity to regulate the electrical system in regards to the increases in power bills. The computer systems of the new distribution companies dealt out January power bills with hefty increases, bringing strong protests from consumers. The company is making adjustments in the bills of the thousands that have complained.
