Electricity in Dominican Republic in 2023/2024

Over the past 12 months, from October 2023 to September 2024, the electricity consumption in the Dominican Republic has heavily leaned toward fossil energy, with more than 80% of the electricity generated from such sources. Gas accounts for nearly 41% while coal contributes around 30%, highlighting a significant reliance on fossil fuels. In contrast, low-carbon or clean energy sources make up nearly 17% of the electricity mix. Within this category, hydropower is the dominant source, making up approximately 6% of total electricity production, followed closely by solar at around 6% and wind energy at just over 4%. These percentages illustrate the country's primary reliance on fossil fuels, with a smaller though promising contribution from low-carbon technologies.

Suggestions

To increase its low-carbon electricity generation, the Dominican Republic can look towards diversifying its energy mix by expanding on nuclear, wind, and solar power, drawing inspiration from countries that have successfully integrated significant amounts of these clean energy sources. For instance, Denmark, a country with a similar geographical profile in terms of size, generates nearly 60% of its electricity from wind power, demonstrating the potential for the Dominican Republic to enhance its wind energy capacity. Furthermore, countries like France, which generates 68% of its electricity from nuclear energy, exemplifies how strategic investments in nuclear can lead to a substantial supply of low-carbon electricity. By learning from these successful models, the Dominican Republic could embark on an ambitious plan to strengthen its clean energy sector, thereby reducing its reliance on polluting fossil fuels which exacerbate climate change and harm air quality.

History

Historically, the growth of low-carbon electricity in the Dominican Republic, albeit modest, has shown some variations over the decades. In the early years, from 1976 to 1985, hydropower saw a few fluctuations, with noticeable increases in 1976 and 1981, contrasted by smaller declines in 1982 and 1984. The late 1980s and early 1990s further demonstrated this variability, particularly highlighted by a significant decrease in 1989. Moving to more recent years, after some continued variability, 2020 marked a new direction with the integration of wind energy, contributing 0.3 TWh to the electricity mix. This was followed by a positive development in 2023 with an increase in solar power generation by 0.6 TWh. By 2024, hydropower once again showed a positive upturn. Such trends indicate a gradual yet consistent shift towards incorporating more low-carbon electricity sources into the Dominican Republic's energy matrix, thus setting a foundation for further development in clean technologies.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources