“La Nina” Ignites Energy Debate

By Gustavo González Reprint | | Print |

SANTIAGO, Jul 7 2003 (IPS) - A debate about diversifying Chile’s sources of energy has been ignited by fears that a La Nina-spawned drought could lead to rationing of electricity. The specter of electricity rationing in Chile in 2004 to offset the effects of drought associated with the weather phenomenon “La Nina” has reopened the debate over energy policy and its environmental impact.

Not only is the proliferation of hydropower plants being called into question, but so is their future replacement by natural gas generators and the effectiveness of the government’s conservation campaigns, says Roberto Roman, with the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of Chile.

El Mercurio, a Santiago newspaper, reports that the private sector fears a return of the “terrible blackouts” that plagued the central part of Chile in 1998 and 1999 when La Nina forced rationing of the electricity supply.

La Nina is characterized by unusually cold temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, and generally follows the cyclical, warm weather phenomenon of El Nino.

El Mercurio quotes National Energy Commission (CNE) studies as saying if demand for power grows at an annual rate of eight percent as projected, the country will need 15 new power plants in the next 10 years, compared to the 12 that have been planned.

However, Laura Elgueta, in charge of communications at CNE, scoffs at the idea of rationing in 2004.

“It is impossible as of now to state that there will be a drought in Chile. Besides, there would have to be not one drop of rain for the whole of next year before we would even begin to think of rationing,” she told Tierramerica.

One of the reasons for the concern in the private sector is that only one hydroelectric plant, called Ralco, is under construction. It is being built on the upper Bio-bio River, 500 kms south of Santiago.

Opposition by environmental organizations and the Pehuenche indigenous group whose lands will be flooded by the 35 sq km Ralco Dam has led to judicial action, which delayed the construction of the plant, which was to have begun operating in 2002.

The plant is being built by the Enersis consortium, acquired in 1997 by Endesa- España. It will join the Pangue Dam, which began operating in 1996.

The two dams will sandwich a 70-km stretch of the upper Bio-bio river valley, irreversibly damaging a unique ecosystem, environmentalists say.

The controversial project will be the last hydropower plant built in Chile under the CNE program.

“We have a policy of biodiversification of energy, with the aim of not creating a dependency on only one source,” says Elgueta.

In the 1990s, an agreement was negotiated with Argentina for the permanent supply of natural gas to Chile through three pipelines that cross the Andes mountains, which will encourage the development of thermoelectricity, she says.

But Roman warns that it is unreasonable to base an increase in the country’s electricity capacity solely on natural gas plants, considering that its supply is so small.

“Surely the price of natural gas will feel the impact of the rise in oil prices shortly, in view of the fact that Argentina is coming out of its recession,” he says.

According to Elgueta, CNE favours encouraging renewable sources of energy as long as they contribute to electricity capacity, and are sustainable and competitive in economic terms, which will make them feasible in rural areas where conventional sources of power have not yet arrived.

Roman believes diversification is a good idea, but that priority must be given to renewable resources. He has worked with a group of environmentalists to prepare an alternate energy policy proposal.

The incorporation of small hydraulic plants without dams, the use of geothermal and wind energy, and the rationalization of consumption are some of the environmentalists’ proposals.

Mexico, Costa Rica, El, Salvador, Nicaragua, Argentina and, on a smaller scale, Peru, are the major users of geothermic and solar sources of energy, says the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE). In the rest of the region, there is no significant development of renewable resources.

Latin America and the Caribbean produce nine percent of the world’s energy supply and consume 6.7 percent.