Dominican Republic to Tender 2,500 Megawatts of Power

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · ENERGY

The Dominican Republic wants batteries to stop wasting solar power and new firm plants to meet demand that could double by 2038.

The Dominican Republic will run four power tenders for at least 2,500 megawatts (MW), with openings for US gas suppliers and investors. Energy minister Joel Santos set out the Dominican Republic power tenders in Santo Domingo, Listín Diario reported on Thursday, 8 October.

In 2025 the country took 89.5 billion cubic feet of US liquefied natural gas (LNG), the US Energy Information Administration says. US-based AES Corporation, through AES Dominicana, introduced natural gas to the country more than 20 years ago, the company says.

LNG supplied about 41% of the country’s energy mix in 2024, up from about 24% in 2019, according to AES. Two of the four new tenders cover thermal and firm generation, although Santos did not name a fuel.

Four Tenders From Late 2026

Santos, who heads the Ministry of Energy and Mines, said at least four big tenders start from late 2026 to early 2027. He spoke on Wednesday, 7 October, at the Future Energy Summit investor forum, part of the XI Energy Week in Santo Domingo.

The rounds, as Listín Diario reported them, are these:

• Batteries: 200 MW of storage at renewable plants already running, to cut curtailment, the clean power the grid cannot absorb.
• Renewables: new renewable capacity that must carry batteries equal to at least 50% of it; its size was given as “600 MW and 900 MW.”
• Existing thermal: 900 MW from thermal plants already in service, planned for late 2027.
• New firm power: 800 MW of new generation that can run on demand, for medium-term development.

Santos said the government is “accelerating the tender processes” to cover supply into “what I call the decade of the 30s.” He linked the timing to global geopolitics and to longer delivery times for turbines and components.

At least 2,500 MW would equal over a third of the 7,120 MW installed in 2025, ministry data show. Diario Libre quoted Santos on Tuesday saying the country will tender now what it needs for the next four years.

Batteries Take Centre Stage

Santos said the country should add 600 to 800 MW of battery storage by 2028. That excludes separate storage blocks procured by ETED, the state-owned transmission company.

ETED said in July it would contract 600 MW of two-hour storage, paid for by private investors but owned by ETED. The Superintendencia de Electricidad, the power regulator, was then reviewing those contracts, ETED said.

Santos said batteries could earn money four ways: energy sales, frequency regulation, capacity payments and fixed transmission charges. Carlos Pais, an executive of the Dominican energy group Grupo Pais, described almost US$40 million of investment in frequency-regulation batteries.

Gas Stays in the Long-Term Plan

The National Energy Commission (CNE), the planning agency, expects peak demand to rise from 3,940 MW to 7,595 MW by 2038. One scenario in its draft plan adds 4,390 MW of renewables, 2,925 MW of thermal power and 2,050 MW of storage.

The plan treats natural gas as a transition fuel and puts total investment to 2038 at about US$12.79 billion. Renewables alone need about US$5.4 billion between 2024 and 2030, the CNE estimates.

What It Means for You

For US LNG sellers, new firm capacity in a gas-heavy system could support steady demand, though no fuel has been specified. AES Corporation, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, already runs gas infrastructure there through AES Dominicana and its EnaDom joint venture.

Battery makers and developers get a pipeline of at least 200 MW of retrofits, plus storage tied to new solar and wind. Santos said investor confidence and local banks will set the pace, so financing terms matter.

ETED’s executive vice president, Alfonso Rodríguez Tejada, also spoke this week about the Hostos project. He wants the undersea power cable to Puerto Rico, a US territory, under construction or running within five years.

What Is Not Known

No tender documents, reference prices or exact launch dates have been published. Only Listín Diario has reported the tender sizes; the ministry had not issued its own account by early Thursday, 8 October.

Listín Diario gave the renewable round as “600 MW and 900 MW,” without saying if that is a range. The four rounds total 2,500 MW at 600 MW, or 2,800 MW at 900 MW.

The ministry’s Tuesday statement put the 2028 storage goal at “at least 800 MW,” not 600 to 800 MW.

Santos did not say which fuel the thermal and firm rounds will use. No total investment figure was given for the four tenders.

What Comes Next

The first rounds are due between late 2026 and early 2027, with the existing-thermal round set for late 2027. The CNE says its 2025 to 2038 National Energy Plan is in the final stage before publication.

The Energy Week runs until Friday, 9 October. The plan is a schedule, not a contract award, and no bidder has been chosen.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Dominican Republic Tendering?

Batteries (200 MW), renewables with at least 50% storage, existing thermal (900 MW) and new firm power (800 MW). The four reported rounds total at least 2,500 MW.

Why Does the Country Need Batteries?

Solar and wind output is sometimes wasted when the grid cannot absorb it, a problem called curtailment. Batteries store that power for later use and steady the grid.

Can US Companies Bid?

Santos said the tenders depend on private investors, and no nationality limits have been announced. The rules have not been published yet.

When Will the Tenders Start?

Santos said they will start between late 2026 and early 2027. The existing-thermal round is planned for late 2027.

How Much Gas Does the Country Buy From the US?

The US Energy Information Administration recorded 89.5 billion cubic feet of LNG exports to the Dominican Republic in 2025. That was slightly below 90.6 billion cubic feet in 2024.

Sources: Ministerio de Energía y Minas (6 October); Ministerio de Energía y Minas, CNE plan (7 October); Ministerio de Energía y Minas, ETED (7 October); ETED (July 2026); US Energy Information Administration; AES Corporation; OLACDE; Listín Diario; Diario Libre; El Dinero (all accessed 8 October 2026).