The Dominican Republic is preparing a new series of tenders for existing photovoltaic parks and new developments with storage, in a package of opportunities that could add over 800 MWh in the short term. Edward Veras , executive director of the National Energy Commission (CNE) , and Andrés Astacio , superintendent of Electricity, detailed the specifics of the upcoming calls for bids and regulatory definitions during an exclusive networking breakfast at the Future Energy Summit (FES) Caribbean. Following the success of the 600 MW tender, the Unified Council of Distribution Companies (CUED) will launch a tender for arbitration of existing solar projects as a way to foster greater competition, Veras indicated. What does this mean for the sector? From the perspective of arbitration for existing contracts alone, it will add over 800 MWh of capacity.
And if we put a number on what we see from a transmission perspective for system security, we're talking about some 1200 MWh, Astacio added, revealing more details of the call for bids. This decision also echoes a signal already given by Vice Minister Ricardo Guerrero at the opening of FES Caribe , when he announced that the government was working on a new process to add BESS (Energy Storage and Storage) to existing projects. Even the National Energy Commission and the Superintendency of Electricity agreed that future renewable projects will be hybrid with storage or will be stand-alone BESS systems, so regulatory bodies will continue "generating incentives to stimulate the market." "What's coming is an aggressive policy to create incentives for installing storage infrastructure that will allow us to continue developing the energy system," stated Andrés Astacio. Relive FES Caribe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfB3DaSHJSM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfB3DaSHJSM What to expect in the coming months? For scale reference, Veras added that 238 MW of four-hour storage are already underway and projected that by 2027 the country could have 300 to 400 MW of operational BESS ( Battery Energy Storage System), a figure that could increase if both the new arbitration tender and transmission investments move forward. In the short term, the main regulatory milestone will be the approval of the regulations for electrical works and battery installations (currently open for public comment), which is expected within the next 30 days . It's worth noting that these technical criteria are essentially the same as those required of participants in the recent 600 MW tender. As background, the EDES-LP-NGR-01-2025 International Public Tender with BESS would have left eight projects preliminarily awarded for 605.1 MW, among offers for more than 1500 MWp and almost 1300 MWh, with average prices around USD 0.108/kWh.
The potential expansion beyond the initial threshold explains why the process has not yet been formalized. Regarding this process, the Superintendent stated that the efficiency achieved through investor appetite has exceeded expectations , while Veras left open the possibility of announcements related to both contracts stemming from this call for bids and private investments in transmission storage before the end of the semester. However, the authorities made it clear that the expansion involves not only new tenders but also resolving structural constraints within the system.
At that point, Veras introduced one of the most sensitive topics of the meeting: bottlenecks. "The electrical system is a funnel; we are a small system," Veras warned, explaining that expansion is already reaching its limits in certain areas of the grid.
As an example, he pointed out that the Northwest line is 100% committed , which is why the National Energy Commission (CNE) is analyzing a reconfiguration of the expansion plan, prioritizing projects smaller than 20 MW , which currently have a greater chance of integration. Upcoming FES Meetings: The Future Energy Summit tour will continue with FES Guatemala on May 14 and FES Mexico on May 19 , where key stakeholders from the public and private sectors will address the challenges and opportunities related to the expansion of the energy system, new investment schemes, and the execution of strategic projects.
To access the full FES 2026 tour schedule, learn more about it and be part of the meetings, the FES digital platform is available, while all events will have a live broadcast through the official Future Energy Summit YouTube channel.
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