The Independent Regulatory Commission (IRC) has been monitoring DOMLEC’s Capacity Management Programme.
Recently, the Dominica Electricity Services Company Ltd (DOMLEC) implemented a series of load-shedding schedules in response to limitations in its current capacity.
Load shedding is a controlled and temporary measure implemented by utility companies with a capacity shortage that can assist with the management of electricity supply during periods of high demand, extreme heat conditions and unexpected disruptions in the power system.
While load shedding may be a necessary stop-gap intervention, at this time, the frequent and prolonged disruption in electricity across the island continues to have a negative impact on households and businesses.
The Electricity Supply Act 2006, No. 10 of 2006 of the Commonwealth of Dominica, guides the IRC as it monitors DOMLEC’s load-shedding activities to ensure compliance with established policies. In so doing, the IRC also aims to ensure that the rights of consumers are protected.
In 2016, the IRC approved a 1.5-megawatt (MW) diesel generation plant for DOMLEC. Out of the 16.5 MW generation allowed, DOMLEC successfully implemented 1.5 MW generation in 2020. In 2020, the IRC also approved a generation license for a 10 MW geothermal plant for the Dominica Geothermal Development Company (DGDC) of Dominica. In 2022, in compliance with the National Energy Policy, the IRC awarded DOMLEC the project to develop a 5 MW Solar Plant at Tarrou.
The IRC has been working with both DOMLEC and the Ministry with responsibility for Energy to properly address the issues involving DOMLEC’s current capacity problems. IRC’s consideration for approving added generation capacity must be aligned to the National Resilience Development Strategy (NRDS) and the National Energy Policy (NEP).
The IRC and DOMLEC have started the Electricity Rate Review process. Any future purchase of diesel generators will negatively impact electricity rates for all customers. The IRC is supporting the national efforts to find the most effective solution to the current crisis, with a strong preference for a sustainable resolution, one that would not put unnecessary burden on the ratepayers.
The IRC is committed to ensuring that consumers in Dominica receive the highest quality of electricity at fair and affordable rates while maintaining the financial viability of DOMLEC. The IRC is extremely concerned about the issues and challenges being faced by the utility and is mobilized to support the collective effort to resolve the issue, sooner rather than later.
so seems its all the IRC’s fault from that statement. Seems like the IRC is being micro managed by certain unqualified individuals.
Just read Stephen Nicholas comment over and over again.Typical UWP uninformed handful of aholes.Dr.Henferson is talking about Dominica,but here we have another UWP aholes playing smart posting comments about California and ,2.54 GW,22 geothermal plants,big geysers and 725MW.How much more stupid can UWP get?It is like talking about drinking water from the Hudson river.
Well even with your pseudo punctuation tell us what happen to the geothermal plant project, the elephant in the room.
Well said IRC. It is what it is, and you stated your point from an informed position.
Do all the transformers and wires on the poles all look like that? No wonder there is a problem with electric transmission.
The DLP cabal should have buy DOMLEC before it was sold to the Bajans (friends of Star Boy). The Bajans took over and minced Dominicans pockets and repatriated huge profits, never did any reinvested earnings to upgrade the power generating equipment nor did they invest in renewable energy.
The Star Boy took over after the Bajans pocket were full. They sold a lemon to Star Boy. Then he is stock with a lemon as is. No warranty and no guarantee, the sale was as is.
What a shame.
Correct me if I am wrong but I think Dominica is the only country in most of the Caribbean countries where no government building is using renewable energy. Not only the Bajans reap our pockets, but they also benefited from our tax dollars which was and is being used to pay government expenditures (including electricity bills) for public buildings.
So why UWP sold a national treasure in the first place, and now blame DLP for buying it back? and, I’m no DLP/UWP supporter.
in the case of DLP, we either have a (partial) geothermal plant or we don’t.
‘With an installed capacity of 2.54GW (Gigawatts) in 2018, the US is the world’s largest producer of geothermal energy.
Located in Northern California, The Geysers is the largest geothermal complex in the US with a total capacity of 1.51GW.
The geothermal complex, which has been producing power since 1921, comprises 22 geothermal powerplants, which includes the 725MW Big Geysers, operated by Calpine. Big Geysers is known to be the single-largest geothermal power project in the world.’ https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/features/geothermal-energy-plants-in-us/#
So why does the Hon. Dr. Vince Henderson keep telling Dominicans that the little 10MG (Megawatts) toy being built in Laudat is the best thing since geothermal invention and the first of the firsts in the world, and can export energy? Are these guys mad? And how have Dominicans become so foolishly gullible and just believing all these guys lies?
A 10MG powerplant cannot power the whole of Dominica far less export energy?
So in other words DOMLEC asked for 16 u gave them 1.5. And then another 10 ( that’s a pipe dream Goethermal ). And a 5 that’s a pipe dream So basically it’s the IRC fault that DOMLEC does not have the capacity they need now they are putting out this bull crap statement trying to deflect blame on what they have caused . No wonder the last owner of DOMLEC sell the company so fast to the gov cause they could see this comming
One thing that I noticed in all the announcements and pronouncements, is that NO ONE has taken any responsibility for this fiasco. They are all making all kinds of excuses and throwing out all kinds of terms to describe their rank incompetence.
The bottom line is that, we have people running entities and companies that are ill suited for their positions.
Planning for future growth is not rocket science. It is done all the time in all sorts of organizations all over the world. You have to look at future demand and prepare to meet that demand under multiple scenarios – from worst case to best case.
How can you run a public utility and you are always reacting to events?
I have noticed that in many developing countries, they treat essential services as optional services. Water gets cut, so what? Power goes out, oh well!!
The worse part is, as I said earlier, no one takes responsibility, no heads get to roll for their incompetence. Life goes on.
The senior civil servants have contracted Roosevelt’s contagious lying disease. They, too, lie about almost everything.
Leaders inspire accountability through their ability to accept responsibility before they lace blame.
Roosevelt always looks for someone or something to blame. He is leader. I am anticipating that he and his birdbrain apostles will somehow blame Lennox Linton for this fiasco.
Well that was a long way of saying nothing
This statement begs the question: how Independent is the The Independent Regulatory Commission.
The Commission’s website gives details of its executive director and his seven staff members, but it does not identify the Commission’s chairman and four commissioners. Nor does the website give any information about how the Commission is funded. I can only assume that the Commission, like DOMLEC, is controlled of the government.
Please correct me if I am wrong on any of the above points.
Exactly right. I go further and say, absolutely nothing in Dominica is independent anymore. Everything is controlled by this deceiver. Right now we also experience the fiasco with electoral reform. None of his business but he gets involved and if all fails he will call his Electoral Commission into action. It should be independent but alas it has his operatives in a majority. Thats what he calls an Independent Electoral Commission. We also have a public audit commission. Once again, it’s ‘independent’ but controlled by him through his puppets.
What specifically is the IRC doing to effectuate a consequential change to the dire situation of electricity generation or lack thereof? It is quite apparent that Roosevelt runs everything concerning the governance of Dominica. All the pubic and quasi government entities are just goose eggs.
You know when a foreigner read some of our comments on DNO, especially from the idiots supporting Roosevelt Skerrit, that corrupted crook himself, they may get the impression that Dominica is one; or if not the richest place on the planet.
Roosevelt Skerrit; told Dominicans that they are existing, and living a lot better than Americans!
I am a citizen of the United States; when Roosevelt emphasize that I had to look around me, to see if there was something my neighbors and I lacked; looked into my refrigerator, the medical establishment. transportation, the infrastructure of the entire country.
Nothing in Dominica came close!
Take a look at that transformer on the light pole; it is rusted, decaying, the liquid (fluid) it contains is cancerous, if the contents leaked on a human, they can develop cancer.
It would be a cold day in hell before something like that is found on any street in the U.S!
Clown talk about that; and the $300,000.00 houses without any electricity.
Open up…
All I see here is the IRC made the decisions on the request of the rapacious star boy of stupidity. Here is why. electricity generation and distribution is like two separate departments. The government wants to build geothermal for political reasons but does not have transmission lines. They denied Domlec request to increase generator capacity in name of resilience but yet to give public of the cost per KWH from geothermal. To gain transmission capacity they decide to take over Domlec with old maintenance starved equipment. geothermal is nowhere near ready and even if started no pilot test was done to ensure heat loss and calcification of wells would not hinder consistent production. the vulnerability of the grid and lack of contingency exposed. Rapacious SBOS now trying blame IRC and wants to circumvent leagally mandated IRC make decisions. We hire cousin veny and st.lucia tell us what we already know. DA is ran by biggest JA on planet earth. problem is lack of generation capacity.
More BS from the IRC. So diesel powered generators will mean higher electricity rates. Are they suggesting that in the absence of the geothermal plant or solar power, citizens should put up with the outages while they wait for a geothermal plant that may never be built?
Sometimes you have to make tough choices and they may not be the most optimal, but you cannot wait for a perfect solution when you are in dire straits.
Just today I had to make a decision that cost the company extra money, but given the circumstances that I faced, it was the best option available and I would do it again under the same circumstances.
You have to play the hand that you are dealt.
What are u all really saying? Blah, blah, blahing without any specifics
. God help us all in this failed state 
