DOMLEC’s General Manager Colin Cover says his company is working on solving an issue with the International Regulatory Commission concerning a new license.
The Independent Regulatory Commission (IRC) said recently that it is going ahead with island wide consultations, with or without DOMLEC, to determine what type of license should be granted to the sole electricity company.
Executive Director of the IRC Lancelot McCaskey had told a press conference that the company was ready by June 2010 to engage DOMLEC in negotiations for new licenses for generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity; however DOMLEC has been dragging its feet on the matter.
But according to Cover, the issue is being resolved. “The IRC is of the opinion that we were taking too long to respond and I can understand that. They know what they were doing and we were taking by surprise but we had to do some research before we respond. That is where the foot-dragging matter came about,” he said.
He said DOMLEC and the IRC have since had two meetings on the issue.
“We are now both closer on the issue, we both understand each others issue because DOMLEC intends to be here for a very long time in the utility business as the supplier of choice,” he added.
Domlec needs to be nationalized. Seriously! They attempted to sue our Gov’t for $100 million, now want licence renewed. By now this company should be on its way out.
Someone has been asleep at the wheel, be it the Gov’t or the Dominican people. So many millions are used for unimportant things whereas this lifeblood of our nation is left unattended. Now they want to get into geothermal to suck us dry. Ugly track record.
No one wants to invest here due to high electricity rates and a weak public outcry. I call for nationalizing our electricity grid & Domlec. Too much lip service, Gov’t should put money where its mouth is.
Govt needs to get serious about “ECO-TOURISM”. I believe a broader focus must be made on the subject. Energy production is one aspect, which falls under that banner.
To keep with the “Green Theme”, DOMLEC needs to start approaching energy production differently. They need to get away or reduce its dependence on diesel and the inefficient generators. They need to refocus on thier hydro plant and start looking at solar, wind and wave energy. This will not only allow them to be more competitive with the future geothermal plant, but provide Dominica with more consistant energy at a cheaper rate.
If they don’t want to do it, someone needs to get some small wind turbines and start leasing them to home owners.
Whatever you all discuss, remember that these high utility rates have been major deterrents to local and foreign direct investment over the years. Therefore, a non-monopolistic license is what is required in Dominica. Electricity is too essential a utility to be managed as a monopoly, especially the way it is now. In an environment of alternative energy, DOMLEC should not be given any exclusive license.
To me DOMLEC should just sell out to the state and call it a day.
But knowing those Americans they will not go down without a fight. They will get a US embassy on Dominica and hold government by its balls if it have!
Well…sorry annonymous. They already have a case to sue us for $100 million, grandstanding that has scared the government from doing anything about them.
Ok, Domlec was taken by surprise? Why is that not a surprise? Domlec has been blaming the fact that they needed a firm renewed agreement on its inability to make strategic business decisions including plans for investing in much needed power plant expansion and other major capital works. Now that the government through the IRC has been ready to move ahead, Domlec had failed to prepare or anticipate the proposed new agreement, the very agreement it was crying for that it needed! No game plan of its own. Sleep on Domlec, sleep on.