Clean Power In Latin America

Clean Power In Latin America

Latin America has the cleanest power sector in the world, with over half of electricity generated by hydropower and other renewables. But Latin America – and the rest of the world – will ultimately need to fully decarbonize the power sector in order to combat climate change. The region’s power generation has increased by approximately 60% since 2000, and this trend is expected to continue for decades, driven by population and GDP growth.

Latin America faces many challenges to decarbonizing the power sector, such as fossil fuel subsidies, the lack of a carbon tax or carbon market in most countries, and inadequate grid integration. However, expanding clean power could bring many benefits, such as energy security through the use of domestic energy resources, employment, and regional integration and technology development. A decarbonized power sector would also allow for reduced carbon emissions from the transport sector through the expansion of electric vehicles fueled by clean power.

What are the prospects for and potential pathways to decarbonizing electricity sectors in Latin America? What are the barriers and opportunities for clean power in the region? How does Latin America compare to other regions in efforts to implement clean power policies?

Join us for a discussion with Walter Vergara, senior fellow at the World Resources Institute, Samantha Gross, fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy, Energy Security and Climate Initiative, and Gabriela Elizondo Azuela, senior energy specialist at the World Bank Group.

Follow this event on Twitter at #DialogueClimate and @The_Dialogue

SPEAKERS:

WALTER VERGARA

Senior Fellow, World Resources Institute (@_WalterVergara)

SAMANTHA GROSS

Fellow, Foreign Policy, Energy Security and Climate Initiative, Brooking Institution (@BrookingsFP)

GABRIELA ELIZONDO AZUELA

Senior Energy Specialist, World Bank Group (@WBG_Energy)

MODERATOR:

LISA VISCIDI

Director, Energy, Climate Change, and Extractive Industries Program, Inter-American Dialogue (@lviscidi)