The Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE) took part in the international conference Regional to Global, dedicated to analyzing the future of the energy transition in Latin America. The event brought together more than 150 scientists, experts, and industry representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Russia, the United States, and Uruguay, as well as ambassadors and diplomats from various countries, in a space for strategic dialogue on the region’s role in the global energy transformation.
On behalf of OLACDE, Fitzgerald Cantero, Director of Studies, Projects and Information, spoke on the panel Challenges of the Energy Transition: Potential and Prospects for Latin America, where he emphasized that Latin America and the Caribbean have a unique combination of resources (renewable energy, hydropower, and gas and oil reserves), and more than 50% of the world’s lithium, which position the region as an essential player for the present and future of energy. He also highlighted the need to advance greater electrification of demand, strengthen regional energy integration, attract long-term investment, and consolidate collaboration ecosystems among governments, the private sector, academia, and communities. He also noted that the share of renewable energy in regional electricity generation already reaches 67% and could reach 76% by mid-century.
The event provided an opportunity to further examine the structural challenges facing the region, such as ensuring universal access to electricity for more than 16 million people, as well as the real opportunities for expanding the energy sector and the role of regulatory frameworks
