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Climate Impacts on Latin American Hydropower
…recommendations. Executive summary In Latin America, hydropower is the main source for electricity generation in most countries, accounting for 45% of the total electricity supply from the region. By 2040, it is likely to remain significant or potentially increase, supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and carbon emissions reduction in the energy sector. However, climate change poses an increasing challenge to Latin American hydropower with rising temperatures, fluctuating rainfall patterns, melting glaciers, and increasing occurrence of extreme weather events. These changes consequently affect hydropower generation by increasing variability in streamflow, shifting seasonal flows, and augmenting evaporation losses from reservoirs…
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Renewables 2020
…the electricity heat and transport sectors. Executive summary Renewables’ resilience is driven by the electricity sector In sharp contrast to all other fuels, renewables used for generating electricity will grow by almost 7% in 2020. Global energy demand is set to decline 5% – but long-term contracts, priority access to the grid and continuous installation of new plants are all underpinning strong growth in renewable electricity. This more than compensates for declines in bioenergy for industry and biofuels for transport – mostly the result of lower economic activity. The net result is an overall increase of 1% in renewable energy demand…
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Boosting Efficiency in Latin America
…on securing energy supplies, it is equally important to take a hard look at the role of more efficient and flexible demand in securing affordable, reliable energy. There are several reasons for this. First, one of the fastest and cheapest options for short-term emergency situations is to reduce demand. Second, investments in more efficient technologies and practices can reduce risk over time while improving access to energy services, saving money and supporting efficient, less costly energy systems. Third, managing demand by improving efficiency and making loads more flexible is key to cost-effectively meeting decarbonisation goals. Decades of policies…
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Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations for Latin America and the Caribbean
This publication was prepared by the IEA, with the support of more than 50 energy efficiency experts from Latin America and the Caribbean, together with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN ECLAC), and the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Peru. The 20 detailed recommendations span five sectors and cover policies ranging from measures to implement mandatory minimum energy performance standards for buildings and appliances, to improve transport system planning and efficiency and promote energy management systems for industry. They are tailored to regional barriers and opportunities. The IEA has also worked with regional…
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Latin America Energy Outlook 2023
…Outlook Special Report Latin America and the Caribbean is a region that stands out in the global energy sector. It boasts extraordinary natural resources – both fossil fuels and renewable energy – and a significant share of the world’s critical minerals. It also has a history of ambitious policy making in pursuit of stronger energy security and greater sustainability that has delivered one of the cleanest electricity mixes in the world. As the region emerges from a period of sluggish economic growth, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean now stand to leverage these resources to revitalise their economies and improve…
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Hydrogen in Latin America
From near-term opportunities to large-scale deployment The momentum for low-carbon hydrogen is growing in Latin America, with many countries currently developing long-term hydrogen strategies and a project pipeline of more than 25 projects, including several gigawatt-scale projects to export it beyond the region.
In this report we analyse both the region’s potential to play a major role in the future low-carbon hydrogen landscape, and the role that low-carbon hydrogen could play in Latin America’s own clean energy transitions. Low-carbon hydrogen deployment depends on many technologies that are still under development… -
Energy Transitions in G20 Countries
Energy data transparency and market digitalization In collaboration with Argentina’s Ministry of Energy, the IEA presents two reports that track the trends in energy transitions in G20 countries. The Energy Data report presents actions for G20 countries and beyond to boost the quality and comprehensiveness of energy data to support energy policies in a more and more digitalised, decentralised, and consumer-focused world, as well as energy market transparency. These reports were prepared in collaboration with IEF, IRENA and OLADE.
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What is the impact of increasing commodity and energy prices on solar PV, wind and biofuels?
…increased almost sixfold, resulting in additional costs for the geographically dispersed supply chain of renewables. The reversal of the long-term trend of decreasing costs is already visible in the prices of wind turbines and PV modules, which have increased by 10-25% depending on country and region, erasing two to three years of cost reductions since 2018 from technology improvements. The exception, however, is in People’s Republic of China (hereafter ‘China’) where wind turbine costs have continued to decrease in 2021, as demand declined following the 2020 deployment boom driven by the planned phase-out of subsidies. How do…
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Regulatory Reform in Argentina's Natural Gas Sector
…in Argentina's Natural Gas Sector The natural gas sector in Argentina is undergoing profound change as a result of regulatory and structural reforms launched at the end of the 1980s. Critical to achieving national economic restructuring, these reform measures were aimed at improving economic efficiency and increasing investment through greater reliance on market forces and new opportunities for private capital. This report -- the first IEA study to focus on Argentina -- critically reviews the impact of gas-sector reforms. It identifies challenges that policy makers, regulatory and competition authorities still confront, in particular the promotion of competition in gas supply.
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GlobalABC Regional Roadmap for Buildings and Construction in Latin America 2020-2050
…demand for energy services (IEA, 2019a). By 2040, Latin America’s population is expected to grow by a further 20% and could increase its economic wealth by 83%. Decarbonising buildings across the entire life cycle would require a transformation of the buildings and construction sector. Reaching net-zero operational and embodied carbon emission buildings is possible, but requires clear and ambitious policy signals to drive a range of measures including passive building design, material efficiency, low-carbon materials, efficient building envelope measures, and highly efficient lighting and appliances. According to the World Energy Outlook, energy efficiency and decarbonisation of electricity…