Rainieri says blackouts haven’t affected tourism

Punta Cana.- Frank Rainieri, founder of the Puntacana Group, confirmed that recent blackouts following the shutdown of a Punta Catalina thermoelectric plant have not affected the tourism sector. He noted that all hotels, particularly in Punta Cana and Bávaro, are equipped with emergency power systems, ensuring uninterrupted operations.

Rainieri expressed optimism that the recent expansion of Punta Catalina, adding 600 megawatts, will help the government address ongoing electricity service inconsistencies. “The people have been suffering, but I believe it’s an issue on the way to being resolved,” he said.

The outages, caused by the shutdown of unit two and previous interruptions in unit one due to low water levels from sargassum buildup, had raised public concern and prompted President Luis Abinader to inspect the plant during the Restoration War commemoration.