ACCIONA's corporate foundation, acciona.org, has started its activity in the Dominican Republic with the launch of its Light at Home rural electrification program in the Elías Piña province, which will benefit 90 households in the municipalities of Hondo Valle and El Llano.

The program brings electricity, through residential photovoltaic systems, to 360 people in the communities of Rosa Las Piedras, Los Guayabos, Palo Blanco and El Valle, which are hard-to-access areas where there is no reliable conventional electricity coverage.

Elías Piña is the least populated province in the Dominican Republic. According to the National Statistics Office (ONE), it has the lowest percentage of electrification in the country (87.8% in 2022). Electricity service coverage is limited, as several communities in the north and south of the province lack power grids, while other areas are covered but have a low-quality service, with many daily supply disruptions.

SOCIAL PROGRESS

These conditions have led acciona.org to choose Elías Piña as the place to start its activity in the Dominican Republic, with the aim of reducing the electricity supply gap in the country. Before the introduction of Light at Home, 96% of the homes surveyed in the target area had no access to electricity and the main sources of household lighting were flashlights and candles, although 20% of households lacked lighting altogether.

acciona.org's programs focus on strengthening social networks to ensure the cohesion and permanence of each project. The population gets involved, cooperating with and supporting the project. Committees engage with the community, and service management centers are created for the maintenance, to provide advice to the beneficiaries, as well as billing, and the sale of compatible household appliances. For this first project, the service management center, Light at Home Center, is located in Rosa Las Piedras, a local hub where many families frequently go for daily activities.

In addition to safe lighting, Light at Home's residential photovoltaic systems offer the possibility of keeping up with global news through radio or TV, which is a first for many homes. Until now, more than half of the families in the area did not use communication devices. The systems also enable the use of fans or refrigerators that improve local people's everyday living. Having electricity is synonymous with health and progress from day one and in the long term.

This project is developed with the participation of the beneficiaries, in cooperation with national and local authorities, as well as with ACCIONA Energía and Cotoperí Solar.