From October 5 to 9, Argentina 1.5 participated in the Energy Week, organized by the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This event is one of the main forums for political and strategic dialogue on energy in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the participation of government officials, representatives from the private sector, international financial institutions, and civil society organizations.
Within this framework, Argentina 1.5 participated in various regional exchange forums and co-organized activities to promote a just, participatory, and community-centered energy transition. One such activity was “Just Energy Transition in the Territories: Communities, Challenges, and Opportunities,” held within the framework of the Latin American Alliance for a Just Energy Transition, comprised of Transforma, IDEA, E+, Chile Sustentable, Fundación Ivy, Rosilena Lindo Riggs, and Argentina 1.5.
During Energy Week, participating countries made progress on ministerial agreements regarding strategic issues for the transformation of the sector:
- Artificial intelligence and energy: regional diagnosis on the impacts of AI in the electricity sector, including the demand of data centers, and creation of a technical group to promote ethical, safe and efficient use.
- Electrification of demand: boosting diagnostics and regulatory frameworks to expand the use of electricity in priority sectors, along with storage technologies and smart demand management.
- Circular economy: promoting the life cycle management of clean technologies, including the recycling of solar panels and batteries, and assessing opportunities to utilize industrial waste.
- Energy subsidies: a majority joint statement highlighted the need to improve the targeting of subsidies, strengthen institutional capacities and ensure that assistance reaches vulnerable sectors, considering fiscal sustainability and the sovereignty of States.
- Youth participation: creation of the Regional Youth Council in Energy as a permanent space for dialogue.
In parallel, the Latin American Alliance for a Just Energy Transition presented government representatives with the position paper “Towards a Regional Electrification Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean. Contributions of civil society to a regional electrification agenda”, with proposals to contribute to the regional debate.
Argentina 1.5 also participated in various activities aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and the influence of civil society. Participation in Energy Week reaffirmed the importance of strengthening regional collaboration among civil society organizations, communities, and decision-makers. Moving towards a just energy transition requires not only transforming energy matrices but also guaranteeing effective participation, equitable access to energy, and governance mechanisms that consider the realities and needs of different regions.
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