Official who touted clean energy now hails coal-fired plants

Santo Domingo.- Despite being one of the Dominican Government’s most outspoken proponents of using alternative fuels, Energy Commission director Enrique Ramirez on Monday hailed the State-owned Electric Utility’s (CDEEE) call for tenders to build two coal-fired power plants.

"Dominican Republic urgently needs to incorporate thermal energy, cheap base energy, and we feel that this open bidding is the first step toward the national energy system’s sustainable development," Ramirez said.

The official was referring to CDEEE CEO Ruben Jimenez Bichara’s announced call for tenders to add 600 megawatts of low cost energy with two plants of 300MW each.

"We welcome this and CDEEE Ruben Bichara’s initiative to start the International Competitive Bidding. The idea is to have these 600 megawatts of energy injected to the national grid in the next three years and more room for energy independence, and lower than the current cost," said the head of the Energy Commission, whose office building inaugurated just last year, is among the few structures to boast a full array of solar panels.