Latin America Advisor
Energy Advisor
A Publication of The Dialogue
How Can Argentina Satisfy Growing Energy Demands?
Some 20 million people across Argentina—more than half of the country’s population—were left without electricity on March 1 across major cities. Growing energy demand is straining the country’s power grid. // File Photo: Government of Argentina.
Some 20 million people across Argentina—more than half of the country’s population—were left without electricity on March 1 across major cities, including Santa Fe, Córdoba and Mendoza, and large swaths of the countryside following national grid blackouts. The blackout, believed to have been caused by a fire in open fields west of Buenos Aires, affected power lines and forced the closure of a nuclear power station, officials said. The power cut came as the South American country endures a heat wave and drought that has increased demand for energy. On March 13, Bolivia started to export electricity to alleviate the situation. How can Argentina’s power grid satisfy the higher demand for electricity? What should be done to prevent future power outages? How sustainable are the electricity imports?
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Fermín Koop, Latin America editor for the Southern Cone at Diálogo Chino: “Amid severe economic constraints, Argentina hasn’t invested in its electricity transmission network in the last 25 years, and this is now taking a toll—as seen with the recent blackouts. The government relaunched last October a plan to invest $1.4 billion in six energy transmission lines, a plan first announced six years ago but not implemented. However, the plan doesn’t include overhead power lines, meaning it won’t really solve the problem, experts have said. Companies have also warned the existing infrastructure is facing difficulties due to a lack of maintenance. But the problem goes beyond securing a stable electricity service. Additionally, the renewable energy sector has warned new solar and wind projects can’t be implemented without improvements to the energy grid. This means…”
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A sister publication of the Inter-American Dialogue’s daily Latin America Advisor, the weekly Energy Advisor captures fresh analysis from business leaders and government officials on the most important developments in oil and gas, biofuels, the power sector, renewables, new technologies, and the policy debates shaping the future of energy in the Western Hemisphere and beyond. To subscribe or for more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.
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