Coal, natural gas-fired plants needed urgently, Cardinal

Santo Domingo.- Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez on Sunday urged the Government seek an urgent solution to the electricity problem and suggested it buy several coal and natural gas-fired plants, because in his view the price of oil is already unsustainable.

"The country cannot import oil and energy paying what you pay today. We need these to be resolved, there’s some kind of solution and this would be that friendly countries willing to lend us a hand to at least deal with the emergency we have, they should give it to us," he said.

He said people have been suffering the energy problem’s horrors for over 40 years and that it’s time to find a solution. "I think the President has been at it with a particular country, to see if it’s possible to get two or three plants up quickly, especially coal or natural gas, because oil is unaffordable."

"Hopefully that can be done and that these governments who’ve volunteered will be encouraged, because for us it would be a great relief," the prelate said.

Lopez, after a mass in the cathedral Primada de America, to mark the 70 years of marriage of Pedro Santana, 94, and Evangelita Then 90, who have 14 children, 60 grandchildren, 57 great grandchildren and six great grandchildren, said he has never agreed with the way the energy issue has been handled, and how agreements he considers harmful have made.