Bidding opens today for the installation of 1200 megawatts of electricity production using coal fired generators. The bidding will be overseen by Radhames Segura, the head of the CDEEE and the Minister for the President, Danilo Medina. The government has sent out over 2,000 invitations for the bidding, to both national and international investors. The bids will be opened at 9:00 a.m. during the ceremonies at the Hotel Jaragua. On 27 July, a group of Middle Eastern businessmen informed the Dominican government that they were willing to undertake the project that had had previously rescinded from the Westmont Power Co. because of previous problems the Westmont people had with corruption issues. In addition, the contract with Westmont required the Dominican government to make an advance payment of US$140 million as a guarantee. Listin Diario is quoting sources as saying that the installation of so much power generating capacity at a cost to the CDEEE of just US$0.018 cents per kilowatt-hour will force a renegotiation of the contracts currently in force with Cogentrix in San Pedro and Smith-Enron in Puerto Plata, where the government is paying US$0.10 cents per kilowatt hour.