Santo Domingo.- The Government today announced efforts to ease the energy crunch that has resulted in protests in several areas of the country, and the criticism of busniess and even the church.

State power companies (CDEEE) vice president Radhames Segura said the government negotiates the purchase of four barges in the Philippines and two others in Florida that would inject more than 260 megawatts to the electrical system.

He said the rebuilt power plant Puerto Plata II, which generates about 30 additional megawatts, went back on line Friday to help ease the supply shortage in the Cibao region (north), blamed on a drought in the zone, and aggravated by the shutdown of Puerto Plata’s San Felipe plant.

Segura said two other 138 megawatt power lines will be added to the system shortly, in addition to the 50 megawatts that the mine Falconbridge Dominicana contributes.

The official also described the Herrera industrialists as “hypersensitive,” for a recent complaint against the electricity supply, since they are fed 85 percent of the required energy, with a 3.5 megawatt “privileged circuit,” with interruptions averaging only 2.3 hours per day.

Whereas Electricity superintendent Francisco Méndez said the electric bill won’t increased in September, although the world price of fuel oil jumped from 93 to 106 dollars per barrel this month. “We are doing everything possible to keep the bill in September at the same level of price stability which it has had this August, with the government’s injection of 250 million dollars for the electrical subsidy.”