2005News

President announces energy plans

President Leonel Fernandez announced that his government is looking into ways to increase oil-refining capacity and launched a Nation Energy Saving Plan. Speaking on his Sunday evening TV program, the President said that this would start with government entities in order to “set an example” for other businesses, both public and private. Fernandez told the nation that he was planning to send out a circular outlining the steps that must be taken in each and every government office. He called for a “rational use of energy” in the government offices.

Supervisory teams will be formed in the different ministries in order to show the office workers how to save energy. Low consumption lighting will be one target and air conditioners are an obvious target for energy conservationists. The President is proposing to save 10% without “spending one cent”. According to Ruben Montas who heads the National Energy Commission, at any time of the day or night there were government offices with lights on – even if there is nobody present.

Industry and Commerce Minister Francisco Javier Garcia and the president of the Dominican Refinery, Aristides Fernandez Zucco, joined President Fernandez as they announced that a French company had begun the initial feasibility studies for placing a refinery and a crude oil deposit in Manzanillo Bay. The crude could then be re-distributed to Central America or the United States. The officials said that a French company and several Arab states were interested in setting up such a structure. The President has ordered his people to travel to Libya, Dubai and Qatar to continue negotiations. The Industry and Commerce minister also announced that at least three Dominican business groups are working on the installation of ethanol production facilities.