Herrera and Santo Domingo Province Industries Association (AEIH) president Victor Castro says that the government should not sign an agreement aimed at extending its Cogentrix contract to 20 years. Cogentrix is a power plant that is turned off because it costs the government less to pay non-generation penalty than to take on the operating cost. The holders of the concession for converting it to natural gas want to extend the contract, which is due to expire in eight years, to 20 years. Castro says, however, that the discussions should be part of the Electricity Pact that has been convened for public and private discussions in the framework of the National Development Strategy. “The negotiation of that contract would be an element of noise and mistrust in the discussions to reach the pact,” argued Castro, as reported in Diario Libre. He called for the government to develop a democratic and participative process in order to find solutions to the serious electricity situation. He said that the Economic and Social Council should take all the decisions regarding power generation. “We are surprised that [the government] is trying to seduce public opinion with the advantages of gas generation to extend the contract in a discretionary way limited to a two-part negotiation, the CDEEE and CESPEM, prior to the Electricity Pact discussions.” The promoters of the natural gas operation want to extend the Congentrix contract to 20 years when it is due to expire in eight years. He said the decree convening the Electricity Pact is almost ready and the discussions should start shortly.
www.diariolibre.com/economia/2014/06/16/i657471_aeih-pide-desistir-aventura-cogentrix.html