Joel Santos rules out immediate electricity rate increase and prioritizes system efficiency
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Joel Santos, has been emphatic in clarifying that the Dominican government is not contemplating an increase in the electricity tariff at this time. According to the official, the authorities’ main focus is on optimizing the service’s operation, expanding generation capacity, and reducing the operational losses of the distribution companies.
Santos, who also chairs the Unified Council of Electricity Distribution Companies (CUED), stressed that the institutional work agenda is exclusively oriented toward achieving a positive and sustainable evolution of the national energy system.
Strategic planning versus operational reality
Regarding the mention of tariff adjustments in the 2025-2028 Multi-Year National Public Sector Plan, the minister clarified that it is a technical forecast within a long-term planning document. However, he specified that its inclusion in said text does not imply that there is an executive decision or an ongoing process for its immediate implementation.
The priority of energy authorities is to continue advancing in the variables that allow for strengthening the sustainability and quality of the electrical service, especially through the incorporation of new generation and greater efficiency in distribution.
Joel Santos, Minister of Energy and Mines
Focus on loss reduction and network improvement
The strengthening of the Dominican electrical system is supported by a comprehensive strategy that covers various fronts of action. Among the key measures that the authorities are implementing, the following stand out:
- Substantial improvement in distribution networks nationwide.
- Increase in operational efficiency at Edenorte, Edesur, and EDE Este.
- Strengthening of metering systems to ensure transparent consumption.
- Regularization of users to combat illegal connections.
Finally, the head of Energy and Mines reiterated that the sustainability of the sector should not be analyzed under a single variable, but as a set of coordinated advances in generation, transmission, distribution, and more efficient administrative management, factors that, together, seek to guarantee a more stable service for all citizens.
