In the electricity sector, real transformations are not announced: they are evident in regulatory updates and in the way the state purchases energy. When an issue begins to appear simultaneously in regulatory procedures and public procurement processes, it ceases to be a technological hypothesis or a foreign novelty and becomes a practical reference point for the market.
That is what we are seeing today in the Dominican Republic with battery energy storage.
Systems known internationally as BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems), and referred to in local regulations as SAEB, are being expressly incorporated into certain relevant areas of the electricity market, both from a regulatory perspective and in terms of public procurement.
Market Signals: Auctions with Storage
The most visible sign comes from government procurement. The distributors EDENORTE, EDESUR, and EDEESTE, coordinated by the Unified Council of EDE (CUED), are executing tender EDES-LP-NGR-01-2025 to contract up to 600 MW of new solar and wind generation through long-term contracts. The distinctive feature of the process is not only the volume, but also the design: battery storage is part of the expected product in the technical scheme.
This type of specification does not automatically make storage a universal requirement for all energy projects in the country, but it does send a clear signal about where the contracting standard is heading in the segments that are currently driving the expansion of the system.
Formalized Regulatory Framework
At the same time, the regulator has made progress in formalizing storage from an administrative standpoint. The Superintendency of Electricity (SIE) issued a specific procedure for the authorization of Battery Energy Storage Systems (SIE-164-2025-MEM). With this, BESS is no longer dependent on informal criteria and is now evaluated on the basis of a file, with clear requirements, route, and deadlines.
For variable renewable energy projects, particularly solar photovoltaic and wind power, that integrate storage systems within the same technical solution, the Superintendency of Electricity established mandatory technical requirements applicable to this specific case through Resolution SIE-178-2025-MEM.
Technical Criteria: The Difference Between Having and Functioning
In practice, this means that storage is not evaluated solely on the basis of "being installed," but rather on how it operates: its ability to meet the performance requirements of the system and to demonstrate this with measurable parameters.
Here lies the distinction that, in real life, defines whether a project moves forward or gets stuck:
The typical mistake is not buying "the wrong battery." It is believing that the project is the equipment. A project becomes investable when it closes completely: consistent permissions, defensible connection, and contracts that convert performance into enforceable obligations. Without that closure, you can have the best system in the world and still lose money.
Project Structure: Hybrid vs. Standalone
It all starts with a simple question that determines the route, schedule, and costs: are you structuring it as a hybrid or as a standalone?
Hybrid Project (Renewable + Storage)
If it is hybrid, storage is not "added" at the end. It is designed from day one to meet system performance requirements: ramp management, response to events, coordination with the renewable plant, and validation during commissioning (start-up tests). That is why EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) and O&M (operation and maintenance) cannot be templates: they have to tie in metrics, performance acceptance criteria, and contractual remedies if the system does not deliver what was promised.
Standalone Project (Independent Storage)
If it is standalone, it shifts the center of gravity. The critical asset is usually the node and the strength of the file. A technically adequate storage system does not compensate for weak interconnection or fragmented processing. In this lane, delays are not measured in "inconvenience": they are measured in financial cost, lost opportunity, and reputational damage.
Conclusion: The New Standard of Execution
The reasonable conclusion is not that storage is mandatory in all cases, but rather that it is no longer marginal in the areas that are currently driving the expansion of the Dominican electrical system. In relevant public tenders and specific regulatory scenarios, BESS already operates as a technical and contractual standard.
Those who read this evolution in time will not gain a "technological" advantage. They will gain an execution advantage: designing projects that move in the real direction of the market and in line with what the regulator expects to see, in terms of both paperwork and performance.