Team size: Five 

How do you stay up-to-date with changes in laws and regulations in the Dominican Republic relevant to your organisation’s industry? 

Apart from attending various forums, seminars, and regional meetings, we organise in our corporation a bi-weekly legal update meeting to discuss a variety of subjects ranging from energy topics to newly issued legal regulations, and their impact on the organisation.  

Part of my job is to keep track of all these new regulations and rules, to produce in-depth analysis on how they may change or influence the business, and if an update to the organisation’s local procedures and practices is required. 

What is a cause, business related or otherwise, that you care about, and why?   

Increased barriers to entry in the renewable power market concerns me. Current regulation focus seems to be tightening the conditions required to entry the renewable power market, rather than facilitating the access of new concessionaires and cutting the red tape. 

New requirements include installing a massive amount of Battery Storage systems as part of each PV power project, keeping the same price per Kw/h in the PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements) – an action that negatively impacts the power project’s finance in more than 30% of the overall capex, straining the RoR and making some power projects unfeasible; prevents the creation of an energy arbitration market which returns adequately the investment made in BS; foments misalignment in costs, creating a distortion in the current market – all of which discourages investment in renewable power and reduces the possibility of further development.