Electric situation worsens

Electric blackouts are just a part of life in the D.R., but recently they have gotten worse. In a community where we are to have 21 hours of electric a day, we have gone to 6 - 12 hours a day. Yesterday we only had 6 hours of elecric in a 24 hour period! It has made life pretty difficult. One night I did a load of laundry at 11:00 when the electric returned because I had been away when the electric was on that day and my laundry was already backed up due to the electric situation. I fell asleep while the load was washing, woke up at 1:00 a.m and put it in the dryer.

We have an invertor, but with only 6 hours of electric at a shot, it is not enough to recharge the invertor. Our invertor has been shutting down leaving us unable to do school, taking a risk at losing things in our fridge, and causing us to toss and turn at night in the heat with no fans to run. Yes, it's still hot here. We pray that they will come up with a solution soon!

Here's an article from a Dominican paper explaining the electric situation.

"Power situation worsens"

"Rolling blackouts have continued nationwide. Yesterday the energy deficit was of 976 MW, or 42%. Extended blackouts are threatening businesses of all sizes. Business owners say that they only receive between three and four hours of power each day. Businesses with inverters and generators are finding there is not enough power to re-charge inverters and fuel bills for running the generators are skyrocketing. Ramon Perez, a business owner in Villa Mella says even with no power, a bill for RD$106,000 (US $3,000) still comes every month. As if that were not enough, he has to pay more or less the same amount for generator fuel per month. The blackouts are being attributed to a US$364.9 million standing debt owed to the energy generators. Hoy explains that the government's debt to the energy generators totals US$700 million, US$300 million in standing debt and US$400 million of a "frozen" debt. Quoted in Listin Diario, Pablo Linares, director of the Dominican Foreign Investment Association (ASIEX) asked, rhetorically, why anyone would want to invest in a country that can't provide the basics to operate. Linares said the DR is at a crucial moment considering it has formed part of the DR-CAFTA and EPA trade agreements and has the potential to attract foreign investment. Manuel Cabrera, director of the Herrera Industrialists Association (AEIH) has also voiced concern about the situation and is calling on the authorities to do something urgently. Pablo Piantini, president of the National Young Entrepreneurs Association (ANJE) said the solution is not to rent new floating generators, but to invest in a real solution. Former president of the National Council of Business, puts it simply as reported in the Listin Diario: "The solution is simple. Rid the system of politics and hire real managers."