The Dominican Republic anticipates having approximately 300 megawatts of operational battery storage systems for renewable energy sources by 2027. This development comes as the nation integrates more renewable energy sources and grapples with increasing demand and system seasonality, according to Energy and Mines Minister Joel Santos.
Minister Santos made the announcement during his participation in the Future Energy Summit (FES) Caribe 2025, considered the most influential Latin American and Caribbean energy forum. The event, held in the Dominican Republic, brought together over 500 leaders from the public and private sectors and was moderated by Gastón Fenés, founder of the specialized journalistic group Strategic Energy Corp (SEC).
Addressing the challenges of maintaining grid stability amidst the growth of new technologies and the need for increased energy production, Santos stated that the government, in coordination with the National Energy Commission (CNE), is preparing the terms and conditions for a renewable energy tender to be announced in 2025 as part of the country’s energy plans.
“The National Energy Commission already has sufficient experience to establish reference prices, and there is sufficient information. They have evaluated a significant number of projects, and all this information will allow us to establish the prices for the tender and the amount of megawatts to be tendered,” the minister explained.
This strategy aligns with CNE Resolution CNE-AD-0005-2024, which aims to ensure that renewable energy projects with installed capacities of 20 MWac or greater include battery storage systems equivalent to at least 50% of their capacity, with a minimum duration of four hours.
Minister Santos emphasized that the Dominican Republic’s energy system “continues to advance on all fronts, not only in terms of renewables but also in base load energy, which will be extremely important to sustain the system.” He highlighted the government’s promotion of generation projects from various sources, primarily natural gas, which are expected to add 2,179 megawatts between this year and 2028.
“There is an important hydroelectric project in the works that could generate 204 megawatts by 2028. Additionally, there are plans to invest around 450 million dollars in transmission infrastructure to support the growth of renewables in different parts of the country, especially in the south,” he added.
The short- and long-term energy planning outlined by the minister addresses the imminent increase in the use of digital technologies, which Santos noted will lead to higher demand. This issue is anticipated in the National Energy Plan 2022-2036, under the umbrella of the National Development Strategy objectives.
Accompanying Minister Santos at FES Caribe 2025 were the vice ministers of Energy, Nuclear Energy, and Innovation and Energy Transition, Alfonso Rodríguez, Gaddis Corporán, and Betty Soto, respectively. The executive director of the CNE, Edward Veras, along with other executives from various public and private institutions, also attended the event.
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Ministry of Energy
7 April 2025