Energy storage is a class of technologies that is diverse, complex, and rapidly evolving. Policymakers in Latin America and the Caribbean will need to acquire a strong grasp of the technical characteristics and benefits of these technologies, the services they can provide, and the most relevant regional and power market applications for each technology, according to this report authored by experts from the Inter-American Dialogue and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Lisa Viscidi, Nate Graham, Ariel Yépez-García, Edwin Malagón
In an interview with The Science of Where Magazine, Lisa Viscidi, director of the Energy, Climate Change, and Extractive Industries Program, and Sarah Phillips, program assistant, discussed Latin America’s progress toward the energy transition and its geopolitical implications.
La Fundación Propagas, la Universidad Central del Este y el Diálogo Interamericano celebraron el jueves 3 de junio la Quinta Edición de la Cátedra Magistral Ambiental, dedicada a la señora Rosa Margarita Bonetti de Santana, destacada medioambientalista de la República Dominicana.
Companies are increasingly under pressure from the public and regulators to both disclose and improve environment, social, and governance (ESG) metrics. Such regulations in Europe and the United States will nudge investors toward low emissions projects. All this capital has to be put somewhere, and Latin America and other emerging markets are well positioned to become big recipients of these increased climate-focused flows.
While 2021 has been a year of transition for the energy sector in Latin America, it has also been a year of instability in the region’s political conditions and social environment. Under this context, industry experts, government officials and corporate representatives convened virtually to discuss the challenges, opportunities and changes in Latin America’s energy markets at the Fifth Annual Latin America Energy Conference.
Event Summaries ˙
˙ Fifth Annual Latin America Energy Conference
Testimony by Program Director Margaret Myers to the Senate Finance Committee on Economic Cooperation for a Stronger and More Resilient Western Hemisphere.
Electric mobility would bring a host of benefits to Latin America. Countries like Chile are taking the lead in adopting electric buses and promoting private use of electric vehicles. Yet hefty price tags and a lack of charging infrastructure are among the barriers that must be surmounted for widespread uptake in the region.
While the Trump administration’s “America first” policies are aimed primarily at giving higher priority to national security and economic growth for the United States, the White House’s approach will have impacts on energy relations with the rest of the hemisphere that should also be considered.
Lisa Viscidi, Director of the Energy, Climate Change and Extractive Industries Program, testified before the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs on the subject of “Energy Opportunities in Latin America.”
As Latin America moves towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fulfilling its Paris commitments, it must also work to meet rapidly growing electricity demand, which is projected to almost double by 2040.
Latin America faces many challenges in developing its energy resources and providing clean, affordable and reliable energy. With presidential elections in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia next year, there is considerable uncertainty about future energy policy, as potential candidates in these countries have presented widely varying energy and economic policy platforms.
Energy continues to be a bright spot in the US-Latin America relationship and new developments, like an uptick in US LNG exports, offer opportunities to increase energy security and cooperation across the Western Hemisphere.
If the region increases renewables to 80% of the electricity matrix and expands integration, countries can save billions of dollars in investments, avoid blackouts and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, argue Lisa Viscidi and Ariel Yépez.
IFLR speaks with Lisa Viscidi, director of the Energy, Climate Change and Extractive Industries program at the Inter-American Dialogue. Viscidi analyses recent developments in Latin America’s energy markets, particularly in relation to broadsweep energy market reforms in Brazil and Mexico.
