INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Volume 1, Issue 3 October 2011

Governments of Colombia GOVERNMENTS OF COLOMBIA AND THE UNITED STATES MEET TO DISCUSS COOPERATION and the United States Meet ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY to Discuss Cooperation on The high‐level meeting between Colombia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Mauricio Cárdenas, and United States Deputy Secretary of Energy, Daniel Poneman, will foster the exchange of best practices on Energy Efficiency energy efficiency between the two countries. Assessment of Potential t the meeting held in lombia will need a generating sectoral projection models on Shale Gas and Oil Resources Washington DC on Sep‐ capacity of 20,227 MW. The energy generation and con‐ in Uruguay A tember 23, 2011, US Department of Energy will sumption. Cárdenas and Poneman dis‐ Colombia’s mining and hy‐ cussed Colombia’s potential Roundtable Discussion on as energy exporter. In order drocarbon sectors have ECPA held at CREF to expand said potential and been the focus of interest from investors worldwide. become a large supplier for “It is the sector that many Wind Power Cheaper than Central America and the Natural Gas Generated people identify as the most Andean countries, Colombia prosperous for the coun‐ Electricity in will need to develop its infra‐ structure and update its try”, said the President of regulations. The United Colombia, Juan Manuel San‐ 's San Juan tos, at Cárdenas’ inaugura‐ Province Opens Tender for States expressed interest in tion as Minister of Mines Technical Proposals on Wind fostering this process. Assistant Secretary Poneman (Left) and Minister and Energy, held in Septem‐ and Solar Studies Colombia’s energy demand Cárdenas (right) greet at the meeting held in ber in Bogota. Tomás Gon‐ may grow as much as 3.5 Washington DC last month. zález, Vice‐Minister of ECPA Clearinghouse to Hold percent annually over the support the Government of Mines and Energy of Colombia, Training Course on coming years. According to Colombia in promoting energy also participated in the meet‐ Geothermal Energy official estimates, by 2020 Co‐ efficiency and strengthening ing held in Washington. ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL SHALE GAS AND OIL RESOURCES IN URUGUAY ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON A report released by the US Geological Survey for the ECPA Global Shale Gas Initiative estimates ECPA HELD AT CREF that shale formations in Uruguay’s Norte Basin hold considerable volumes of shale oil and gas. In the framework of the ECPA meters of gas, the sixth largest cantly improve the govern‐ On October 12, 2011, the OAS Global Shale Gas Initiative: in the region. ment’s objective of advancing and the US Department of South America, the US Geologi‐ Although more than 90 percent energy security. As part of a State held a special roundtable cal Survey (USGS), in coopera‐ of the country’s electricity is two‐year exploration agreement discussion aimed at advancing tion with the U.S. Department of generated by three hydroelec‐ with ANCAP, in 2010 the US firm dialogue among Caribbean State, is assessing the potential tric dams, Uruguay relies exclu‐ Schuepbach Energy was granted energy public sector leaders, for unconventional oil and gas sively on oil imports to supply a 10,000 km2 prospection per‐ multilateral development or‐ resources (shale gas, shale oil, nearly 55 percent of its energy mit to explore the Norte basin ganizations, bilateral donors tight gas, and coalbed gas) in needs. The state‐owned refinery area. The Uruguayan firm CEN‐ and other key energy players priority geologic provinces ANCAP is supplied with more ESTE was granted a similar per‐ to continue efforts to improve worldwide. In Uruguay, USGS than 50,000 barrels of crude oil mit to explore an area of 26 coordination and development assessed potential technically per day at world market prices. KM2 in northeastern Uruguay. toward a more sustainable recoverable shale gas and oil The government is looking for Other companies from Argen‐ energy sector for the Carib‐ resources in the Norte Basin, ways to reduce its dependence tina, the United States and Rus‐ bean Region. resulting in total estimated on foreign oil by developing sia have also expressed interest The roundtable took place one mean resources of 378 billion wind, biomass and natural gas in exploring Uruguay’s continen‐ day before the launching of cubic meters of gas, 508 million energy. tal territory. the 2011 Caribbean Renew‐ barrels of oil, and 499 million A joint effort with neighboring ANCAP will intensify its efforts able Energy Forum (CREF), barrels of natural gas with other companies in explor‐ which brought together lead‐ liquids. Argentina to build an off‐shore re‐gasification plant for liquefied ing for oil in the central and ers of Caribbean Govern‐ This report concentrates solely natural gas was recently an‐ northern parts of Uruguay over ments, the private sector, and on the Cordobés formation in nounced. Additionally, the gov‐ the next three years. The gov‐ the international community Uruguay's Norte basin. How‐ ernment is studying the feasibil‐ ernment has already licensed to look at renewable energy ever, a similar study released ity of importing gas from offshore exploration blocks developments. The outcome earlier this year by the US En‐ via pipeline. which it has awarded to a con‐ of this dialogue will serve as a ergy Information Agency esti‐ sortium made up of Brazil’s critical building block for the mated Uruguay's total shale gas Uruguay’s new developments in , Argentina’s YPF and region’s engagement in ECPA. potential at 595 billion cubic shale oil and gas could signifi‐ Portugal’s Gal. ECPA Clearinghouse newsletter W IND POWER CHEAPER THAN NATURAL GAS‐GENERATED E LECTRICITY IN B RAZIL For the first time in Brazilian history, wind is a cheaper source of electricity than natural gas. French and Spanish wind energy equipment manufacturers are opening new operations in the South American nation.

Brazil is a long‐standing pio‐ mittency in renewable for 2,047.8MW at an average invested in manufacturing neer in renewable energy. The sources. price of approximately facilities to build wind equip‐ country developed an ethanol US$84/MWh. In a third auc‐ ment in Brazil, while General program unique in the region Brazil’s installed capacity for tion held in August 2011, a Electric and India's Suzlon En‐ and the world and boasts con‐ wind power is of slightly more total of 1,928 MW of wind ergy are studying similar pro‐ siderable hydroelectric gen‐ than 1GW and its estimated energy were contracted at a jects. Job creation, reduced eration. Over the last decade, potential is of 143GW. Genera‐ cost of approximately greenhouse gas emissions, it furthered its actions to aug‐ tion increased by 50.5 percent US$62/MWh. By way of com‐ new influx of foreign invest‐ ment the share of renewables from 2009 to 2010 and, while parison, the average price for ment, increased energy secu‐ in its energy mix. In 2002 and growing, represented just 0.4 power generated with natural rity and a diversified energy 2004, the government imple‐ percent of the electricity gen‐ gas in Brazil is currently mix are some of the most re‐ mented PROINFA, a policy erated domestically as of US$64/MWh. Following the markable outcomes of Brazil’s based on feed‐in tariffs, as a 2010. Recognizing this consid‐ announcement of the August wind energy policy. means to foster the deploy‐ erable potential, in 2009 the 2011 results, Presi‐ ment of new small hydro, bio‐ government renewed its ef‐ dent and CEO of Bra‐ mass and wind energy. All pro‐ forts to increase wind genera‐ zil's Energy Research jects combined yielded a new tion by resorting to reverse Company (EPE), Mau‐ installed capacity of 3,300 auctions. This mechanism ricio Tolmasquim, said MW, of which 43.1 percent emulates the Brazilian electric‐ that, for the first time (1,422 MW) were for wind ity market, which is also auc‐ ever in Brazil, wind energy. Among other benefits, tion‐based. These auctions power prices were PROINFA created some award Power Purchase Agree‐ lower than natural gas 150,000 new jobs either di‐ ments to the lowest bidder. power prices. rectly or indirectly, contrib‐ The first auction for wind en‐ uted to a diversified energy ergy took place at the end of Brazil’s policy in wind mix and reduced an estimated December 2009. Some energy is renewing 2.8 million CO2 emissions per 1,800MW of wind energy were the interest of inves‐ The Osorio windfarm (above) is located in Osório, Rio Grande do Sul. It comprises 75 wind turbines with an year. Additionally, by stimulat‐ contracted at an average price tors, developers and of approximately even manufacturers. installed capacity totaling 150MW. Commissioned in ing different sources, PROINFA 2006, it can supply a city of 700,000 people. addressed the issue of inter‐ US$92/MWh. A second auc‐ Spain's Gamesa and tion was held in August 2010 France's Alstom have

ARGENTINA'S SAN JUAN PROVINCE OPENS TENDER FOR TECHNICAL ECPA C LEARINGHOUSE TO H OLD TRAINING C OURSE ON PROPOSALS ON WIND AND SOLAR STUDIES GEOTHERMAL ENERGY Six proposals were received for the tender being conducted in Government officials from , Colombia and will collaboration with San Juan’s power utility EPSE. attend the six‐day session. deployment of testing equip‐ Five of the top 10 geothermal officials in charge of national ment to map wind and solar energy producers are countries energy programs in Peru, Colom‐ resources across the province. located in Latin America. These bia and Ecuador will attend a The information will be freely countries are El Salvador, Nicara‐ course aimed at providing tech‐ available with the aim of at‐ gua, Costa Rica, Guatemala and nical and policy tools to facilitate tracting private companies to Mexico. However, many other the advancement of geothermal invest in projects in the region. Latin American and Caribbean projects. The course will be im‐ The winner of the tender will nations, particularly those of the parted by professors from the also have the option to de‐ Andean region, boast abundant Geothermal Training Program of velop a preliminary design for geothermal resources, which the United Nations University. wind farms. The tender ended they could tap to safely generate In April 2011, the Province of San Juan com- This course is one of three tar‐ missioned the solar farm San Juan I. This pilot on September 16. cheap electricity. geted initiatives spearheaded by installation located in Ullum has an installed Earlier this year, San Juan The OAS, in its capacity as ECPA the Clearinghouse to increase capacity of 1.2MW. opened its first solar farm in Clearinghouse, is organizing a the uptake of renewables in the Ullum. Legislation passed in training course on geothermal region. Other efforts include The Government of San Juan, a Argentina in 2007 requires energy to foster the expansion of supporting Ecuador’s waste‐to‐ province of Argentina known that 8 percent of power gener‐ this important resource in the energy program and a solid bio‐ for its high solar radiation and ated be derived from renew‐ region. From November 7 mass energy project in wind indexes, opened a public able sources by 2016. through 12, 2011, government Colombia. tender in August 2011 for the

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