Seventeen Thousand Families from San Juan and Elías Piña Benefitting from New Electrical Networks

Seventeen Thousand Families from San Juan and Elías Piña Benefitting from New Electrical Networks
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  12/16/2011

A financial agreement that includes a donation of funds from among NRECA and EDESUR will facilitate the improvement of electrical service in seven communities in the deep South.

The extension of the agreement was signed by the Marcelo Silva Iribarne, Executive Director of NRECA in the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Corporation of State Electric Companies (CDEEE in Spanish), the US-based NRECA and Dominican EDESUR announced the extension of an agreement that established the rehabilitation and construction of electric grids in seven communities in the provinces of Elías Piña and San Juan de La Maguana, which will improve the electrical capacity of the deep South.

As part of this project, EDESUR also announced that it has completed the readjustment and normalization of electric service in various communities of San Juan de la Maguana which has benefitted 6,830 users by improving their service.

The extension of the agreement was signed by the Marcelo Silva Iribarne, Executive Director of NRECA in the Dominican Republic. In February 2011,  NRECA and EDESUR signed an agreement to build 300 kilometers of electricity distribution lines at a cost of nearly 150 million pesos covering the municipalities of Pedro Santana, Comendador, Bánica, El Llano, Hondo Valle, Juan Santiago, El Cercado and Las Matas de Farfán.

The breadth of the agreement also benefits more communities that were initially not included. The project will cost $6,597,000 dollars and will benefit 17,400 families from Comendador, Las Matas de Farfán, El Cercado, Hondo Valle, Pedro Santana, Los Peñascos, Los Pinos del Edén and Cabeza de Toro. The funds are from the US Department of Agriculture with a non-refundable donation of 25% of the total investment.

Celso Marranzini, Executive Vice President of the CDEEE, pointed to the importance and to the benefits this agreement represents for the electricity sector of the Dominican Republic. “I would like to congratulate the NRECA and EDESUR for initiating these agreements that will benefit thousands of families. It is important to note that 25% of NRECA´s investment is going to EDESUR in the form of a donation to improve the electrical networks,” said Mr. Marranzini.

For his part, NRECA´s Executive Director, Marcelo Silva Iribarne, concurred that the agreement is important and expressed his satisfaction to be collaborating with the DR. “This agreement represents the building of nine electric grids in 7 communities which comprises some 300 kilometers of electric lines that are benefitting 17,000 families. It is part of a series of projects we have in the Dominican Republic under the auspices of the US Department of Agriculture.”

Marcelo Silva, Administrative General Manager of EDESUR, said this agreement with NRECA is an important first step toward developing projects in the deep southern part of the country which has been overlooked for many years.

Mr. Silva added that this accord has gotten EDESUR to undertake other projects in different areas around the country, 14 of which have already been completely finished and have benefitted 6,830 clients in the province of San Juan de la Maguana alone. He said they are currently working in six new sectors to connect approximately 1,000 more clients to the grid.

“These projects are being carried out with resources from the company itself and from the CDEEE. We have completed this important NRECA project that will enable us to improve service and attention in the deep south of our client base,” he said.

Following the signing of the agreement, Mr. Marranzini announced that by August 2012, the majority of these projects will be finished and residents of these areas will be enjoying high quality electrical service. He left open the intention of entering into more agreements with NRECA to undertake further projects that will benefit the country.

Fernando Mercado, Celso Marranzini and Marcelo Silva signing the agreement.