Electricity in Dominican Republic in 2021

In 2021, the Dominican Republic generated a significant portion of its electricity from fossil fuels, with 14.56 TWh coming from fossil sources, 6.41 TWh from gas, and 4.55 TWh from coal. The total low-carbon electricity generation reached 3.02 TWh, with wind contributing 1.29 TWh and hydropower producing 1 TWh. Comparatively, fossil energy contributed over five times more electricity than low-carbon energy. The average power use per person in the Dominican Republic is significantly lower than the global average of 410 watts, which could be a signal of insufficient electricity generation or limited access to electricity for some of the population. This is likely to hamper the country's economic development, as abundant electricity supply is typically associated with higher living standards and increased economic productivity.

Suggestions

To increase their low-carbon electricity generation, the Dominican Republic can take cues from countries that have had success in this area. For instance, Brazil, a country that shares similar climatic and geographic characteristics, has achieved remarkable results with wind power, generating 94 TWh of low-carbon electricity from this source. Expanding the wind power sector could be a viable option for the Dominican Republic, considering they've already generated 1.29 TWh from wind. In addition to wind power, the Dominican Republic could explore the feasibility of expanding nuclear power generation, much as countries like the United States and France have done, generating 775 TWh and 319 TWh of low-carbon energy respectively.

History

Since the late 1970s, the history of low-carbon energy in the Dominican Republic has primarily seen a focus on hydropower, with varying degrees of success. The first notable uptick in generation happened in 1976, with an increase of 0.4 TWh. The following decades saw fluctuation in hydropower generation, with some years seeing an increase and others a decrease. Notably, there was a significant decrease in hydropower generation in 1989 by 1.2 TWh. More recently, the first decade of the 21st century mainly saw minor changes in hydropower generation, until a decrease of 0.6 TWh in 2014. However, an encouraging development is the introduction of wind power in 2020, which contributed an additional 0.3 TWh of low-carbon energy to the Dominican Republic's electricity mix. This could signify a new chapter in the country’s history of low-carbon electricity generation.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources