SANTO DOMINGO– The Dominican Republic's increasing exposure to hurricanes, floods, and other extreme weather events has placed the resilience of the electrical system among the top priorities of the energy sector. In response, the Dominican Association of the Electrical Industry (ADIE) will convene authorities, power generation companies, risk management specialists, and representatives from the insurance sector on July 22nd to analyze the challenges facing the national electrical infrastructure and strategies to strengthen its response capacity.
The initiative stems from a reality that has affected several Caribbean countries in recent years. According to ADIE, experiences such as the damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico, as well as other natural disasters in the region, demonstrate that the recovery of an electrical system can take months when there is no adequate planning, resilience protocols, or financial backup mechanisms.
The activity will take place on July 22, starting at 8:30 a.m., at the Hyatt Centric Santo Domingo Hotel.
ADIE's Executive Vice President, Manuel Cabral, stated that the exchange of experiences and coordination between the public and private sectors will be crucial to strengthening the country's capacity to face these types of threats.
"Planning, risk management, and coordination between the public and private sectors will be fundamental to strengthening the response and recovery capacity of the electrical system in the face of natural phenomena," he said.
Critical infrastructure under analysis
The day will begin with a keynote address by César Rodríguez, senior vice president and leader of Consulting Solutions at Marsh for Central America and the Caribbean, who will address the impact of climate risks on electrical systems and the need to incorporate prevention and recovery strategies.
Subsequently, industry specialists will discuss the main operational challenges faced by electric utilities in preventing, responding to and restoring service after severe weather events.
Participants include Milagros De Camps, Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at InterEnergy Group; Fabio Oyola, Director of Operations at AES Dominicana; Alfredo Cuello, Director of Distribution at Edenorte; and Fernelis Ramírez, Director of the Energy Control Center at ETED.
Planning and financing
A second space will be dedicated to public planning and the financial mechanisms that allow reducing the economic impact of natural phenomena on electrical infrastructure.
According to ADIE, the analysis will include government mitigation strategies, international experiences, risk management tools, and insurance alternatives to strengthen the system's resilience.
This discussion will include Jorge Mena, Director of Reinsurance at Seguros Universal; Leovigildo Soto Taveras, Senior Vice President and Corporate Leader of Risk Management at Marsh; Martín Francos Rodríguez, Vice Minister of Planning and Public Investment at the Ministry of Finance and Economy; and Jesualdo Jimenes Bello, Director of the Electricity Market at the Ministry of Energy and Mines. The conversation will be moderated by meteorologist Jean Suriel.
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