Renewable Energies in Argentina: The Challenge of Articulating the Energy Transition with the Economic Development Model

ESTEBAN SERRANI; MARIANO A. BARRERA

Energy Transitions in Latin America. The Tough Route to Sustainable Development

Springer Nature

Año: 2023; p. 187 - 204

In this sense, this chapter seeks to answer a central question to understand the vitality and viability of the process opened in Argentina: How should the country move forward with the energy transition in the context of an unstable macroeconomy with recurrent economic crises, a restricted local capital market, and limited access to international credit?The objective of this chapter is to analyze the recent trajectory of Argentina‘s energy system to present alternatives on how to ensure the expan- sion of the energy transition, in order to accom- plish the ambitious climate goals committed within the framework of an economic develop- ment strategy that will improve the quality of the population’ living conditions.In order to answer this question and to account for the research objective, this chapter is divided into three sections and a conclusion. The first sec- tion presents a brief historical overview of the evolution of the energy matrix and the energy transitions developed in Argentina, while pre- senting the main structural problems faced by the sector in the last two decades. Next, the public policies deployed and the main results for the development of renewable energies in Argentina are presented, showing the power installation and investment needs to comply with the commit- ments that are to be fulfilled by 2030. The third section reflects on the winding courses and the ups and downs of energy transitions and presents scenarios through which securing a portion of the income generated from the export of fossil resources could be used to leverage the energy transition process in Argentina, given the limita- tions of access to “cheap” and long-term financ- ing. Finally, the chapter closes with the conclusions in which we reiterate the importance of reflecting on the challenge of articulating energy transition policies with the economic development model, as it presents an opportunity to develop new articulations, complementarities, and intersections between the environmentalist and developmentalist paradigms in the twenty- first century.