Electrical engineer Bernardo Castellanos is criticizing that today Minister of Energy Antonio Almonte has done what he blasted when in the opposition. Castellanos said that Almonte had criticized the illegality of dozens of contracts signed by the now closed Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE). Castellanos was interviewed for El Sol de las Mañana on Zol 106.5 FM.
Castellanos said those contracts should have been cancelled. Now, Castellanos said that Almonte has illegally transferred more than 38 contracts to the power distributors.
“These are contracts that have a much higher energy price than the price at which the distributors buy that same energy in the spot market. That is one of the reasons why the financial deficit of the distributors has increased,” said Castellanos.
Media reports indicate there is the intention to again privatize the power distributors – EdeNorte, EdeSur and EdeEste.
Castellanos said that before the fuel deficit, the distributors’ deficit was projected to be over US$900 million, so the reason for these losses is not due to this cause that originated in the middle of 2021.
He also assured that by the end of 2021, the losses of the sector will exceed one billion pesos, contrary to what the Minister of Energy and Mines announced last September that it would be RD$700 million. Castellanos also said the authorities at the Punta Catalina coal-fired power plant have been negligent in their contracting of coal keeping the government from having savings of more than US$100 million.
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Hoy
30 November 2021