Venezuela, a country without alternative energies

 

This coming December 18 marks the 23rd anniversary of the visit to the United Nations Climate Summit COP 15, in Copenhagen, Denmark, by President Hugo Chávez.

At that time, he closes his participation saying: .."we leave more aware of the problem and more committed to raising awareness in our towns about the issue of climate and the issue of environmental imbalance" ... "I want to pay tribute to Copenhagen and its spirit, its people and the peoples of the world, and commit ourselves to life, commit ourselves to the future"...

Upon his return to Venezuela, as a first action he incorporated what he called the Fifth Engine, the environmental dimension, into the political discourse, and from there, those of us who spoke about the environment also began to be heard. Likewise, President Chávez publicly assumed his commitment to go towards renewable energies.

23 years later, Venezuela in research, development and execution of public works associated with alternative renewable energies, does not have a work to exhibit. Any island in the Caribbean shows important advances in that direction.

In Latin America, we are the energy country without alternative energy development. Something unusual, because all the countries that make up OPEC have been working for years on the development and execution of photovoltaic and/or wind projects.

From Mexico, through the most disadvantaged countries in Central America in terms of energy, to Argentina, all show executed alternative energy projects.

But why has Venezuela not been able to advance in this world logic of the development of alternative energies?

Simple, at the level of political decision-making, the scope and strategic nature of these developments is unknown. The world is moving rapidly in that direction and Venezuela is not aware of what is happening.

In the American continent, all countries show strong progress.

Only one has not done it and does not know how to do it: Venezuela.

If we were the first oil power in the world, it would not be justified.

Currently Saudi Arabia, OPEP largest crude producer, plans to generate about 10 GW of renewable energy, mainly solar and wind, by 2023.

Our electricity generation and distribution systems, for many reasons, are in a critical state and even so, we do not react, there is no clear strategy to help it immediately with alternative energy projects such as photovoltaic or wind power.

I close with a quote from the engineer Claudio Aldana: .. "The task is immense in the midst of this involution for those of us who are sensitive to the subject...there is nothing left but to act persistently to break schemes. Nature is wise and can take its toll on us" .

Lubio Lenin Cardozo, Solar lnstallation