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Andrés Rebolledo , executive secretary of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) and former energy minister of Chile, analyzes in this column the power outages in different states in the region, based on the recent episode in his country, and proposes how this vulnerability can be overcome with joint action at the governmental level. Following the blackout that affected much of Chile in February, it is necessary to analyze the situation in the region and implement courses of action. We see that Ecuador and Cuba have experienced similar situations, while Argentina, Brazil, and Honduras have also reported partial power outages. The causes of service interruptions vary from place to place: shortages in energy supply due to drought or problems at critical generating plants (Ecuador, Brazil). Meanwhile, in Chile and Central America, the outages originated in transmission systems that revealed weaknesses due to the lack of new infrastructure and modernization of existing ones. The generation deficit, while arising from the effects of climate change, stems from a lack of diversification in the electricity grid and the absence of alternative supply options. We observed that the countries that have best coped with contingencies—without the need for rationing—were those that had the option of obtaining energy support from neighboring nations. This situation has placed energy security as a priority on government agendas, and they have designed strategies for a transition to renewable sources that face enormous challenges, particularly access to financing. Examples of joint and coordinated action It is clear that the best way to address this scenario is to work together and in a coordinated manner to take advantage of available energy resources and existing complementarities. In the case of small nations, it is advisable to create a common block for negotiations under better conditions with financing agencies and technology providers. An example of subregional integration is the Central American Electrical Interconnection System (SIEPAC), which has its own infrastructure, regulations, and institutions. Progress is also being made in the implementation of an Andean electricity market between Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, which will be launched in 2027. Political will and integrated planning Energy integration is a valid, viable, and possible alternative, as long as it is translated into concrete actions that go beyond bilateral interconnections and are projected toward the construction of broader, subregional, and regional markets. This model presents some challenges that must be properly identified in order to address them appropriately: political will is the determining factor and the starting point for a successful integration process, and this has been demonstrated in various international dialogue forums. The important thing is to translate this political decision into concrete actions aimed at integrated planning that considers better use of available and abundant energy resources, taking advantage of existing complementarities. The goal is to achieve security of supply and have resilient systems, that is, systems that are capable of coping with adverse conditions that affect their integrity and operational capacity. This requires significant technological support and entails new costs that must be factored into the equation and assimilated. |
