The electrical industry calls for zoning, planning grants as a role of the State
After the Minister of Energy’s declaration of including the State with a presence “leader, policy and clear.”
Minister of Energy, Maximo Pacheco said that it is expecting a “leader, conductive and clear” presence to be the state’s role in electric field.
This point is one of the five pillars of energy policy that he delivered last week. The secretary of the portfolio emphatically ensure that this can in no way affect the contribution of private investment companies. “Everything I see in the private sector, is a tremendous interest from both domestic and foreign companies to invest in energy projects,” he said.
Regarding the role that should occupy the state, Rodrigo Castillo, executive director of the Association of Electric Companies, stated that “in light of all the difficulties we have had in recent years to develop investment projects in energy, the State will need to engage in much more determined, with clear objectives, processes and tools to unlock investment and therefore have a much more active role in promoting these. “
In this regard, he emphasized two main areas where they can get involved. First, requirements and conditions to make investments in certain geographical areas of the territory should be clarified.
A view shared by former Secretary of the National Energy Commission, María Isabel González. For the consultant, the State may determine areas where they can install thermal power plants and then bid to investors, with permits already processed. “This would help to increase competition and reduce prices, because supply would win by who offers the lowest price for regulated customers.”
Meanwhile, a senior industry adds that if the state did this, avoids the investor to waste time in developing projects in areas where there would be conflict.-
Another area of action, Castillo says, is to deliver investment signals in the field of transmission. Gonzalez adds that “in this country has long been no planning, particularly in transmission. We need a long term perspective. Today decisions taken by the minimum cost and do not take into account longer-term considerations. Who has to do that is the state, “he emphasizes.
For a power senior executive, an important issue is to give guidelines or incentives which type of array they want, indicating which technologies are preferred and give greater guarantees for its development are. As is now all private initiative, the signal is private profit.
Another area where said the state could intervene is that in certain areas, may activate a mechanism when rates touching certain points, providing subsidies for the most vulnerable population. This is vital, say in the industry, considering that whereas the following years to marginal costs, which dominate the rates escalate to levels “not seen”.
One way to subsidize, experts add, is forced to put a partner, as was done when GNL Quintero when joined ENAP in the initiative. In transmission, they add, the state could also lead to the emergence of firms in which it participates.
Warning
However, it is unclear whether this new ruling position of the State will put more obstacles to private investment, or take a more permissive stance. “I do not know what the specific purpose of the minister, but I think if he act fixing these defects it has today our regulation and if allowed to investments, welcome to be made,” said the academic and director of Guacolda Jorge Rodríguez.
For the former minister, one thing that could not happen again is “what happened in the previous government with Barrancones, which was removed from the investment process for presidential will,” added Rodriguez.-
Source: Diario Financiero
