Spanish
Santo Domingo. – The executive vice president of the Dominican Association of the Electrical Industry (ADIE), Manuel Cabral, stated that the main structural challenge of the national electricity system lies in distribution and the lack of comprehensive planning, factors that limit the sustainability and efficiency of the sector in the context of the transition towards cleaner energies.
During his participation in the ADIE 2025 Forum, Cabral pointed out that, although the Dominican Republic has advanced significantly in generation and diversification, weaknesses still persist that must be addressed with a coordinated long-term vision.
"The main challenge of the entire system is the distribution system. Distributors must be financially sustainable because they are the ones who bring electricity to consumers," said the executive vice president.
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He also highlighted that energy planning is a vital issue, as it allows coordinating the interaction between all market players and anticipating future demand with precision. "We must know what the demand will be in two, five, or twenty years, how it will be supplied, what type of electricity we want, and where it will be consumed. Without that comprehensive planning, we will continue to have distortions: there will be times of high demand without enough energy and others of excess supply," he warned. Cabral highlighted that these challenges are exacerbated amid the global energy transition, a process that involves moving from a matrix based on fossil fuels towards one with greater integration of renewable energies. "We are facing a global challenge. All countries are experiencing this adaptation process, and the Dominican Republic is no exception," he pointed out. Regarding the investment landscape, the ADIE vice president highlighted that the electricity sector has established itself as one of the most dynamic in the Dominican economy, second only to tourism, thanks to the growing interest of foreign capital in generation and expansion projects. "Investment in the energy sector does not need to be improved. We went from being a sector where there was not much foreign investment, to being the second behind tourism. The important thing now is to continue generating projects and planning them correctly," Cabral indicated. Finally, Manuel Cabral emphasized that to achieve a sustainable, reliable, and planned transition, it is essential to strengthen coordination between the State, private companies, and regulatory bodies, thus ensuring that the growth of energy demand is accompanied by a modern, efficient, and resilient infrastructure.
