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SANTO DOMINGO.- National Energy Commission president Arístides Fernandez said several projects, already approved and funded which top US$1.5 billion, assure renewable energy and biofuel production as of next month.

He said they only await the publication of the Special Regulation of Renewable Energy Sources Development Law.

“This is a priority for Dominican Republic which has president Leonel Fernandez’s initiative and commitment and we’re convinced of their immediate viability, so we guaranteed the country it will happen as of next month.”

Fernandez said he’s excited with the President’s confidence “in our institution and its competent technical personnel to attract those national and foreign investments tow the power sector to produce electricity and biofuels.”

The official said starting in 2009 there’ll be more than 3 billions dollars in total investments in renewable energy sources.

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COMMENTS
18 comment(s)
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Written by: gouletcolonial, 20 May 2008 3:43 PM
From: United States Virgin Islands, St Thomas Mahogany Run
Most of the negative recent publicity about biofuels is related to corn ....is this a short term fix?and does cane biofuel have the same negatives? Brazil does not think so.....will it work here?
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Written by: bernies, 20 May 2008 3:54 PM
From: United States, falls church va
it all have to be blame to the OPEC and Gold gouging. and not to biofuels.
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Written by: UnderCover, 20 May 2008 4:07 PM
From: United States
Hey food prices are going up up and away..........part of the corn that is ment for eating. Is now being fed to the autos, and this of course creates a small shortage on corn, and at the same time hikes the price of food.

This biofuel tech is good for the air, but is now killing us at the dinner table everyday. What a techno scam this is going to become.
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Written by: gouletcolonial, 20 May 2008 4:19 PM
From: United States Virgin Islands, St Thomas Mahogany Run
we are talking about cane not corn........we heard all about the tortilla shortage so lets talk cane not corn
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Written by: AndrusEnigma This user is banned, 20 May 2008 7:46 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata
we are starting to see a more positive image of LF!, using cane is a brilliant idea! becuase we cana produce it almost all around the country!
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Written by: gouletcolonial, 20 May 2008 8:00 PM
From: United States Virgin Islands, St Thomas Mahogany Run
kitchen grease as well as source of energy ...see todays NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Cooking-Oil-Thefts.html
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Written by: rafiell, 21 May 2008 9:54 AM
From: United States
should not food be used as food?
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Written by: gouletcolonial, 21 May 2008 10:29 AM
From: United States Virgin Islands, St Thomas Mahogany Run
sugar cane makes sugar ..very little nutritional value if any.....Kitchen grease.....I dont think I could choke it down....so whats food in this article
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Written by: lcabrera, 21 May 2008 11:02 AM
From: United States
I heard diesel engine cars can run on used cooking oil.
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Written by: MalditoGringo, 21 May 2008 11:33 AM
From: Dominican Republic
bio fuel from cane = not so easy as it sounds, not so economical as it sounds, not so environmental as it sounds

One of the reasons US and Brazil promote ethenol is becuase that fuel fits inside the distrubution/marketing infrastrucrture that they already have set up for hydrocarbons. Conclusion; don't expect ethenol to lower the cost of opperating your vehicle.

Also, sugar = really valuable right now. Not worth converting in to ethenol.
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Written by: soundessential, 21 May 2008 12:26 PM
From: Dominican Republic
sugar cane produces 4 times the amount of ethanol as corn so it's much more cost effective. But unfortunately anything that uses sugar will become more expensive (ie. refrescos)
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Written by: gouletcolonial, 21 May 2008 1:06 PM
From: United States Virgin Islands, St Thomas Mahogany Run
drop sugar subsidy in USA refrescos are sweetened with corn syrup..and Icky read article on cooking oils ...http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/b....-Thefts.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
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Written by: rafiell, 21 May 2008 1:58 PM
From: United States
And so the food that is sugar cane (notwithstanding its nutritional value) will be used to fuel cars and trucks, and consequently the food that uses sugar(cane) will increase in price...correct?

Kinda like corn...but different.

I guess my point is that I believe it is evil to divert food (whatever it is and its nutritional value) from the mouths and bellies of people - to be diverted into the tanks of automobiles and the like.
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Written by: rafiell, 21 May 2008 2:53 PM
From: United States
But wait there's more:

Published on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 by The New York Times http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/21/9097/

"New Trend in Biofuels Has New Risks"

by Elizabeth Rosenthal
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Written by: Trujillo, 21 May 2008 8:02 PM
From: Dominican Republic
Excellent news. Our ethanol will be made from sugar cane, not corn. They can make ethanol without sacrificing sugar production.
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Written by: Trujillo, 21 May 2008 8:06 PM
From: Dominican Republic
I hope they keep searching for oil in the Dominican Republic and at the same time have all these alternative fuels as well.
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Written by: gouletcolonial, 21 May 2008 9:51 PM
From: United States Virgin Islands, St Thomas Mahogany Run
Rafi you are correct about weed risk and unproven jatropha .....which will be used at biofuel plant in Azua....let us hope they know what they are doing there...we dont need to introduce an invasive species
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Written by: MalditoGringo, 21 May 2008 11:14 PM
From: Dominican Republic
goulet - "..let us hope they know what they are doing...." you're hilarious. I just love your dry sense of humor; you're killing me.....ooooh, stop it! My sides hurt.....ja ja ja, je je je.

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