Every year in late November, it is the same thing: the very respected International Energy Agency publishes its World Energy Outlook. This year’s edition is interesting in more than one aspect.
Chile
Chile is preparing a carbon tax
It seems taxing carbon is becoming a really popular idea as Chile is the latest to consider it as Reuters reported recently. The country would be the first to do so in South America and the second in Latin America after Mexico. As Climate Progress reports, this tax would concern only utilities and thermal plants … Read more
Latin America moves forward on renewable energy
While I write mostly about the United States, Europe or China, a lot is happening in other regions of the world. An example of this is the growth of renewable energy sources in Latin America.
Lately, I have come across a few large projects in this region. In Chile, a 300 MW solar project worth $600 million (430 million euros) was just approved by the local government as PV Tech reported in late February.
In January 2014 alone, the country added no less than 186.3 MW of renewable energy capacity, leading the total capacity to 1,298 MW. As one can see, the market is booming there.
Hydropower strikes back, with a controversy
To the New York Times : ” Hydropower, a renewable energy source often overshadowed by excitement about wind and solar power, is enjoying something of a global resurgence.”
” Huge, controversial dam projects have recently made headlines in Brazil, Chile and Laos. Many developing countries, hungry for energy to supply their growing economies (…) are determined to keep building more modest-sized dams too. “
” Record amounts of hydropower capacity came online in 2008 and 2009 (…) according to Richard Taylor, executive director of the International Hydropower Association in London. “
Jordan, Chile and many others are going nuclear
Last week Jordan announced plans to build a nuclear reactor by 2013. Other are due to follow. This is done to answer the country’s energy needs which are due to double by 2030. This is a big issue as Jordan imports 95% of its energy.
It is the opportunity to focus on an interesting article on how nuclear interests as much as 60 new countries. To date 30 nations are already using this energy source to bring gigawatts of low carbon electricity to their grids.
A low carbon alternative to oil and coal, whose productions are likely to peak sooner than expected, nuclear deserves to me a more positive look.
Renewables due to boom in South America
Recently two Latin America countries unveiled large renewable energies plans. If those projects were to become reality, they would bring several gigawatts of clean energy to the continent. Argentina is very ambitious as it plans to build a wind farm that will amount for 600 to 900 MW as well as an impressive solar park that … Read more