Authorities in the Dominican Republic said on Tuesday that electricity was being gradually restored across the country after a massive blackout earlier in the day left millions without power.
The state power company said the outage occurred at around 1:23 p.m. (1723 GMT) due to a failure at the San Pedro I substation, which triggered a shutdown of the national grid.
Energy and Mines Minister Joel Santos Echavarría said during a press conference at the Energy Control Center that the restoration process was underway and progressing steadily.
“We currently have over 527 megawatts generating power, representing more than 15% of national demand, and this number will continue to increase as the stabilization process progresses,” Echavarría said.
Power had already been restored in parts of Santiago, San Cristóbal, Santo Domingo Norte, and several southern regions, he added.
Public transportation services in parts of the capital had also resumed operations, with authorities offering free rides to commuters while power returned to normal.
Officials said hydroelectric plants were the first to reconnect to the grid, followed by thermal power plants, in a controlled sequence designed to ensure system stability and prevent further disruptions.
While the cause of the failure at the San Pedro I substation remains under investigation, authorities assured that the energy supply would continue to improve throughout the night as the grid stabilizes.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
