Electric generators: how much they cost and what to look for when buying
August 15, 2024 Due to the prolonged power outages that have affected thousands of Chileans, sales of products such as electric generators have skyrocketed in retail, with people looking for solutions to keep their homes running, especially when it comes to lighting and essential appliances, such as refrigerators, heating/cooling systems and medical equipment, for example. When deciding whether to buy an electric generator, Manuel…
Should competition be introduced into electricity distribution?: Experts address difficulties and aim to modernise regulation
August 12, 2024 Following the massive and persistent power cuts, there are voices that have begun to consider that more actors can enter the distribution industry and stop it from being a natural monopoly. As of Friday, 60 thousand clients nationwide were still without power, according to the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels (SEC). This is more than a week after the storm that…
The key to critical infrastructure resilience in the face of natural disasters
August 12, 2024 By Javiera Barrera, director of the Doctorate in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, Faculty of Engineering and Sciences of the Adolfo Ibáñez University. The new frontal system that is affecting the central and southern part of the country, painfully reminds us of the vulnerability of our critical infrastructure to natural disasters. These events prompt us to reflect on how we can…
Daniel Gutiérrez, CENTRA member and lawyer specializing in electricity law: “We are not facing a regulatory vacuum”
August 8, 2024 In an interview with Agenda Económica, the lawyer specializing in electrical law and founding partner of BGS Energy Law, Daniel Gutiérrez, a member of CENTRA, referred to the problem of prolonged power outages after the frontal system. In this regard, he commented that there is no regulatory vacuum in this area. However, he indicated that one cannot “pretend to have intelligent…
An artificial heart that ensures continuity
August 7, 2024 The supply of electricity is essential for daily life, and ensuring a constant, adequate and efficient flow is essential in any strategic planning and management process. For this reason, the use of backup power generation equipment is indispensable in facilities and activities of all kinds, especially in productive sectors and critical services such as health, data monitoring, digital networks and national…
Without renewable energy, we would be in a much more complex situation
August 7, 2024 Is it possible to “escape” the increase in electricity rates planned for this year? First, we have to understand that the increases in electricity bills that we are experiencing are the result of something that we have avoided for the last five years in Chile. Let us remember that, when the social outbreak occurred, rates were frozen in a scenario where…
Is it possible to travel around Chile in an electric car?
July 25, 2024 Although there are more than 900 charging stations across the country, they are concentrated between Coquimbo and La Araucanía, making journeys to remote areas and those far from highways difficult or longer in duration. One of the most common questions when someone considers an electric car is whether long trips can be made in it. Traveling north, south, or across Chile….
The number of people without electricity has increased to 685 million
July 25, 2024 A new report reveals that for the first time in the last decade, the gap in basic energy access has increased, jeopardizing the United Nations’ goal of ensuring that everyone has access to this resource by 2030. Ending poverty, reducing inequality, and building more peaceful and prosperous societies. This is the overarching goal pursued by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),…
The pending challenges in the energy transition
July 23, 2024 The energy transition is due to the re-evaluation of the value of fossil fuels compared to renewable energies. The former have lost value, due to the accumulated evidence about their role in global warming, their negative impact on air quality and the perception of insecurity in their supply chains. In contrast, renewable energies, such as solar and wind, have gained value…
The continent’s sustainable financing opportunity
July 23, 2024 If Latin America prepares correctly, there is a real possibility of creating a market for new financial products or services that aim to sustain a zero-emissions economy, opening a new niche for both local banking and multilateral institutions. But this green portfolio must first be organized around a taxonomy that allows avoiding the feared “greenwashing.” On May 23, Chile entered a…