MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Energy short Chile looks for potential alternative sources

Professor Jorge Pontt

As global temperatures and energy prices soar, scientists, policymakers and environmentalists throughout the world are scrambling for solutions. For its part, Chile could meet as much as half its electricity demands with clean energy, according to a report released Friday by energy experts from the Universidad de Chile and Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria.

"The reality is that Chile is growing economically, and we must determine how to support that without risking our natural heritage," said report co-author Jorge Pontt. As much as 40% of Chile's electricity demand could be met by environmentally friendly energy sources by 2025, according to the study, funded by the two universities and several national and international nonprofit foundations and environmental groups. Pontt, a professor of electrical engineering at the Universidad Technica Federico Santa María, said Chile is far behind where it should be in regard to technological innovations in the realm of energy development. "The prevailing policy in Chile has always been to wait for foreigners to do the research, and then to copy it," Pontt said on Friday. "But now, we're seeing where that gets us. If we had seized on the opportunities to enter into the renewable energy field years ago, we wouldn't be paying such a high price for energy today." The study's results estimate that Chile could generate anywhere from 39.8 to 56.5 gigawatt-hours (GWh) per year with renewables such as wind, solar and geothermal energy. And in doing so, the authors say, the country would make substantial gains in the sustainability and security of its electricity supply. Such a scenario is compelling in light of Argentina's reluctance to deliver natural gas to Chile in recent years. Furthermore, concerted expansion in the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures could reduce Chile's greenhouse gas emissions by 16-22 million tons per year, the researchers found. The report asserts that realizing the potential of renewables and energy efficiency requires that Chile overcome significant political, economic and technical obstacles. It calls for a proactive national policy and the creation of a new agency within the Energy Ministry charged with managing progress in both areas. The findings serve as an important first step in the development of such a policy, according to Juan Pablo Orrega, of the environmental group Ecosistemas. They also buttress arguments that his group and others make against HydroAysén, a massive hydroelectric dam project proposed for the Baker and Pascua Rivers in Patagonia. Orrega served as a consultant for the study. "Since the 1990s, we have been saying that Chile needs an energy policy that includes renewables," Orrega said. "Our whole country is a fragile ecosystem, and we need to reorient energy development in a more sustainable direction." The report has already garnered attention from leaders in Chile's public and private sectors. Energy Minister Marcelo Tokman was on hand Friday at the report's release, as was Bernardo Larraín, manager of Chilean energy company Colbún, a partner in the HydroAysén proposal. "It was very significant that the energy minister was here," said Miriam Chible of Patagonian environmental group Codesa. "Informed citizens have to push the government to make progress in this area, no matter who is in power". The Santiago Times