Chile Forum

This is something that has been danced around in the forum in passing for a while. I thought I would take the bull by the horns and open a proper thread on the Energy sources in Chile. This is a big one. It is and will be perhaps one of the truly make or break issues for Chile's future both in the short and long term in terms of the economy, politics, international position, and the environment.

What should Chile do about it?

In Temuco we have had a fairly regular stream of short power outages this summer. I believe last year we had perhaps two short ones, one was storm related. This year we have had at least 6 outages. Still nothing like the rolling blackouts of the Western United States, but still a concern considering the drought this year. Most of the major lakes and rivers across Chile are short by at least 10%. Glaciers are showing parts of the mountains that have not been uncovered in years.

The politics of the growing energy demands of the urban and industrial parts of Chile are putting a serious political strain between the central region of Chile and the rural fringes.

There is a lot of inter related issues here? There is even talk of how the energy crunch in Chile could take some of the strength out of the peso.

Do Chileans want to pay higher prices for power? Gasoline? Fuel oil? Shortages/outages appear to be more acceptable than higher prices. Maybe they aren't that much different than the rest of us.

The easy way is to make a deal with Chavez. I figure that will happen some time this year.

Germany has almost twice the energy needs of Chile, yet produces it with wind, solar, and other renewable resources, and having no beautiful rivers to dam, they manage to meet those needs fairly reasonably. Granted they don't have thousands of miles to transport the energy, but still, how do they do it? My lord, Santiago is so sunny most of the time, is there a look-see going on with solar? Solar! I was in Germany for stint in the Army - spent two years there, and I think there were three days of sunshine and they have solar. I don't know about northern Chile as far as energy needs, but I would guess solar or wind would work well there.

Here in southern Chile they burn wood, of course, and during the winter, lots of it. I don't know if there is geothermal possibilities here or not, but that would be a good thing, I think.

Nuff said.

Patagonia sin repressas!

Vicki

germany can do it because the government is behind it 100%.. they reward those that use/contribute renewable energy.. they have incentive plans and have focused on it.. i guess they have placed VALUE on renewable energy unlike CHILE or many other countries for that matter...
have read here
http://www<DOT>german-renewable-energy.com/Renewables/Navigation/Englisch/root.html

Both Germany and the US governments heavily subsidize the development and manufacturing of solar panels, and (surprise) all the leading solar companies are from the United States and Germany. I think solar could be an option for Chile in the future, but not right now.

jalundberg wrote:. . . . I think solar could be an option for Chile in the future, but not right now.

Why not?

Based on my understanding of the current situation of solar technology, it has not yet reached the point where it is cost effective to be used without government subsidies. Businesses and homes in California (with plenty of wealth) are quick to add solar panels to their respective buildings; however, they are buying the panels at subsidized prices and businesses get tax breaks for using solar panels. I do not see the Chilean government taking such steps to make solar a cost effective technology, and furthermore I do not see many Chilean households investing the large amount of capital necessary to purchase and install solar panels.

What I don't understand is the lack of attempt to put together systems to make use of the vast coastline and ocean currents that Chile has. Putting in a wave generation system off the cost of vina del mar has got to pay for it self over the line loss of pumping electricity all the way from the Patagonia to Santiago, building a dam, and a power grid thousands of kilometers over rugged terrain.

Wind farms on the ocean or in the mountains are also not being taken seriously. Strangely the only wind turbines I have seen are on the a mountain top outside of Coyhaique in the Patagonia.

Really a pisser to see the yearly huge surplus numbers and Chile not doing crap with it (yeah putting it in offshore mainly USA funds is smart — what the f#$% ???) . Why not legislate a similar 10% allocation for alternative energy like the military has? Or why not eliminate or reduce that military fund?

Wasn't it something like 2.6 billion profits just from copper last year and another similar number from the rest of the Chile commodity and commodity manufactured complex?

And these huge surpluses occurring since what, 2001-2002ish?

I'm beginning to think Chile governance is no better than anywhere else in the world.

Energy costs are not going down anytime soon. With Chile importing up to 80% of their needs they are going to face suprises in the future. I believe that the country is gifted with resources. If capital is freed up, and environmental groups don't get in the way too much, Chile has a real chance of making headway. Time will tell. I really want to participate in this sector in the future. I have several doable ideas. Did anyone know SAESA is up for sale????

eeuunikkeiexpat wrote:. . . . I'm beginning to think Chile governance is no better than anywhere else in the world.

It isn't, you know. Just well-disguised by less corruption and more lively theorists, including that Santiago-based equivalent of the American Enterprise Institute.

I'm with RWS on that one. People are people & politicians are politicians everywhere. Differences in cultures & systems will make some places better, but the underlying issues (mildly evolved chimps, homo politicus) are the same under the gloss.

John Hyre

The current president has just been doing lip service to environmental causes, while rapidly disassembling, blocking, or actively fighting against any environmental positions. Most of them are mutely exclusive, in the sense that destroying the environment under the cover of an energy crisis but not really solving the energy crisis.

Every expert we have spoken with in the field has said that the dams in the Patagonia are not going to even remotely help the central regions shortages or even help cities in the south such as Puerto Mont very much. That juice is going to Argentina, not Chile when it is all said and done. They are spending billions on a dam in the wrong place, if dams are really to be considered even a stop gap solution let a lone a complete solution to the problem.

admin wrote:The current president has just been doing lip service to environmental causes, while rapidly disassembling, blocking, or actively fighting against any environmental positions. . . .

Why am I not surprised? Because she's given little but lip service so far to anything of substance. Were it not for a prosperity that has nothing to do with Chilean governmental administration, this might be obvious to everyone.

That wasn't really fair or generous of me. As a non-Chilean, I really oughtn't comment on the country's internal politics. I suppose that I feel free to do so here simply because almost none of us is Chilean.