In a strategic move to overhaul the country’s power distribution sector, the Unified Council of Electricity Distribution Companies (CUED) has appointed engineer Emilio Contreras as the new general manager of EdeEste, the Dominican Republic’s largest electricity utility.
The announcement, made on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, comes as President Luis Abinader’s administration intensifies efforts to stabilize the national grid and reform the financial health of the state-owned distributors. Contreras succeeds Mario Pizarro, who reportedly stepped down to attend to personal matters in his home country.
Contreras takes the helm of EdeEste at a critical juncture. The appointment is a central component of the government’s broader mandate to transform the utility’s operational performance. \
Key priorities for the new leadership include:
• Expanding the customer base: Increasing the number of registered, paying customers to ensure a sustainable revenue stream.
• Loss reduction: Modernizing distribution networks to significantly lower technical and non-technical energy losses.
• Combating fraud: Implementing stricter measures to eliminate illegal connections and energy theft, which have historically drained the utility’s resources.
An electrical engineer with over 25 years of experience, Contreras brings a background in Power Electrical Systems and Business Administration to the role. His resume includes high-level certifications, such as Project Management Professional (PMP) and PM4R-Expert from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). He has previously served as a consultant for major multilateral organizations, including the World Bank, the IDB, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The CUED, led by Celso Marranzini, emphasized that this transition is designed to maintain institutional continuity and improve the quality of service for the residents of Santo Domingo East and the eastern provinces.
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El Caribe
29 January 2026