Bavaro, Dominican Republic.- With the currently  energy bill accounts for nearly 30% of their operating costs, the East region’s hotel chains are interested in alternative sources to generate electricity, media outlet Listin reports.

In the forum “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies for a Sustainable Tourism in the Dominican Republic,” coordinated by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Industry, representatives of the major hotels in Altagracia province say the kilowatt-hour costs the sector as much as 29 cents the dollar.

If you add that to the cost of the fuel of the emergency units of the structures every time the service is suspended, the cost could reach US$0.40 in “many cases.”

“The intention is to look for means so the national tourist sector can lower its costs with the generation of renewable energy and making consumption more efficient,” said Industry and Commerce minister Manuel Garcia, who headed the gathering in which National Commission Energy (CNE) president Enrique Ramirez, and other officials presented the attractions of the “the Development of the Renewable Energies Incentive Law 57-07” and the investments that the norm has spurred so far.

Study

A study by the Dominican Group GEDER) found that East region and Puerto Plata hotels usually pay more than US$150,000 monthly for electricity in the rooms, in addition to consumption in other structures.

Group representative Luciano Guido said while energy is 11% of the total cost for its other competitors, it’s still between 32% and 35% in Dominican Republic, which limits the competitiveness of the hoteliers, who say that a guest consumes between US$9 and US$10 in energy daily, Listin reports.