In spite of incredible losses to fraud and transmission problems, the
nation’s electricity distributors are making money. A lot of money.
According to the Diario Libre, the EDEs, speaking generally, lose
41.1% of the electricity they purchase from the generators. The EDEs
prefer to have the losses covered by the government with the energy
subsidy lump payment. Another reason for the losses is that
transmission lines are inadequate to the task, despite millionaire
loans have been taken out to resolve this problem over the years.
Nonetheless, the EDEs are making money. Using figures from last May,
journalist Esteban Delgado reveals that the three EDEs purchased
RD$2.62 billion in electricity from the generators. They collected
RD$2.76 billion from their customers, and earned RD$147.0 million, in
spite of the 41% loss in theft and transmission. According to the
paper, the EDEs buy electricity at eleven cents of a dollar per Kw/h
and sell it at 20 cents of a dollar per Kw/h. This margin gives them
their profits. Furthermore, the analysis shows that Dominicans that
are billed for power, pay for the service. Of the RD$1.26 billion
filled by Edesur, RD$1.23 billion was collected. Of the RD$830.3
million billed by EdeNorte, RD$763.7 million was collected. And of the
RD$828.1 million billed by EdeEste (the only private company),
RD$776.5 was collected.