NRECA International has been actively involved in rural electrification program design and implementation in the Dominican Republic for over a decade.  NRECA International’s initial activities included development of wind and solar installations in rural areas and participation in the development of a comprehensive national wind atlas, as well as the design and construction of new electric distribution systems that serve over 3,000 families in rural communities that were affected by Hurricane Georges.

In an effort to improve electric service and utility operations, NRECA International designed an integrated rural electric program in the western region of the country that included rehabilitation of a portion of the electric system and organization of the country’s first electric cooperative to operate and manage the system.  Though the envisioned project was not allowed to become a reality, the portion of the rehabilitation project, which was funded by USAID and USDA, benefited over 3,150 families. On the eastern Samana peninsula, NRECA International financed the installation of a 70 kW wind turbine and expanded grid service for the first time to 1,160 families in the area.

NRECA International is currently exploring micro-hydro, wind, solar, and hybrid-system options for electricity generation in rural, peri-urban, and remote communities throughout the Dominican Republic, with a focus on developing productive uses of electricity and increasing agricultural productivity. This work is being funded principally by USDA complemented with some initial USAID support.   

Anetty Lerebours has always worked to help her hometown. Born and raised in Las Matas, Dominican Republic—a small town located about 20 miles from the Haitian border—Anetty still lives there with her husband and child. As director of the Central Co-op, a local savings and loan cooperative that supports small businesses, Anetty is all too aware of spending resources to resolve electricity problems.