Page 15 - Caribbean-Central America Profile 2018

REGIONAL

CARIBBEAN-CENTRAL AMERICA PROFILE 2018

ENERGY AND MINING

ENERGY those concerned with efficient use, since the residential corresponds to the use of biomass,
Energy security is critical for every country, but technological characteristics and economic and particularly of wood with a percentage of 34
small countries often face the most challenges. social effects of the two are very different and, percent. The traditional use of firewood for
The Caribbean and Central America on average most importantly, because they require different cooking and in the cold zones also for heating, is
have some of the highest electricity prices in kinds of public policymaking and intervention. usually a subject of analysis and concern when
the Western Hemisphere. Energy efficiency The issues connected with renewable sources formulating policies and programs that promote
and renewable energy offer great potential have to do with the generation of energy and a more sustainable and modern use of this
for reducing the negative effects of the ever- the replacement of conventional sources. They energy. It is followed by electricity consumption
increasing rates of energy consumption involve very specific actors and interests: accounting for 32 percent of the total, LPG
associated with economic growth and the move generating companies that are already operating, consumption, with 20 percent and natural gas
towards more energy-intensive societal models. for instance, often see renewables as a threat consumption accounting for 14 percent of the
to their business. In addition, transmission
Compared to the progress made with energy companies often must make additional total.
intensity by the industrialized countries after investments to ensure that network input of
two decades, the achievements of the Latin The Other Sectors includes Agriculture,
electricity from renewable sources is viable and Livestock and Fisheries, the Construction Sector,
American and Caribbean countries have been
stable.
modest, and in some periods the trend has been Mining and the Commercial Sector and Services
adverse. The energy intensity situation in Latin In Latin America and The Caribbean final and total aggregate final annual consumption of
American and Caribbean is a complex one: the consumption of energy in the Transport Sector about 752 million barrels of oil. Because of the
size and sectoral consumption trends of countries is dominated using different liquid fuels. diversity of these sectors, in the aggregate, there
such as Haiti or Honduras cannot be compared Practically, 50 percent of the final consumption are many prevailing sources. Used mainly in
with those of Mexico or Brazil. In the last corresponds to gasoline and alcohol. This is Mining, in the Commercial Sector and Services
decade, some countries have made profound because most of the countries already have and Construction, electricity consumption is the
structural changes in their energy sectors by rules that establish certain percentages of cane one with the largest share, which is 33 percent.
opening up and liberalizing markets, this being alcohol mixture in the fuel supply for Otto cycle It is followed by diesel consumption with a
the case with Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia engines. 39 percent of the final consumption 20 percent share and intensive use in mining,
and Guatemala. By contrast, countries such corresponds to the consumption of diesel oil, agriculture, livestock and fisheries, followed by
as Brazil, Mexico, Cuba and Venezuela have used mainly in the transport of loads. It is oil consumption (16 percent), natural gas (11
retained centralized control structures and State noteworthy that, despite the media boom in the percent) and gasoline (9 percent).
enterprises have a strong presence. transport of electricity and electricity, certainly
low penetration of hybrid cars, the consumption The Caribbean has enormous potential for
Latin-American and Caribbean strategic planning of electricity in the transport sector is still making a substantial transition to renewable
matters have been limited by the changes in the negligible.
economic and political view with regime changes energy. It has the resources of sun, wind, and
and global issues such as oil price volatility, and The Industrial Sector, being composed of in some cases geothermal and hydro. With the
high cost of fossil fuel electricity generation,
economic recessions which affect investment in numerous branches of activity and taking
there is a strong business case for making the
the energy sector. As a result, at a national level, advantage of the local comparative advantages
the agencies responsible for energy planning has in the consumption of the different sources, move to renewables. And several governments,
been constructed and dismantled in many ways for example, taking advantage of the available development banks and NGOS are actively
that caused a discontinuity in energy planning biomass, shows a certain balance in the supporting the move. Many islands have
and in the adaptation of the capacities to the consumption of the diverse sources. The ambitious plans to transition to renewable
variation of loses in the energy sector. There is consumption of natural gas (26 percent), the energy. Aruba has a goal of transitioning off
need for increasing and strengthening planning use of biomass (23 percent), the consumption fossil fuels 100 percent by 2020. St. Vincent and
capabilities in Latin America and the Caribbean. of electricity (22 percent) and oil (13 percent) the Grenadines plan to generate 60 percent of
Despite over two decades of discussions aimed stand out. In Latin America and the Caribbean, its electricity from renewable energy by 2020.
at giving energy efficiency and renewable energy the final consumption of the Industrial Sector St. Lucia seeks to reach 35 percent renewable
more prominent positions in the energy policies of consumes over 1400 million barrels of oil energy penetration and to increase energy
Latin American and Caribbean countries, little annually. efficiency by 20 percent by 2020. Grenada
has been achieved so far.
The Residential Sector represents just over plans to generate 20 percent of its electricity
In separating efficient energy use policies from half the final consumption of the Industrial and transport energy from renewable energy
renewable energy policies, it is important to Sector, for consumption of some 726 million by 2020. Barbados has a goal of generating 20
consider the possibility of separating renewables barrels of oil annually. It is notable that greater percent of its electricity from renewable energy
promotion activities and programmes from participation in the final consumption of the by 2026.

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