In his welcome address at the Energy Efficiency & Renewables Forum: Realizing the energy transitions, a G20-associated event taking place in the CCK today, Argentine President Mauricio Macri acknowledged the central role energy has to play in sustainable development, one of the main priorities of the Argentine G20 presidency, and expanded on Argentina’s own ambitions to reduce energy consumption and transition to cleaner energy.
“Sustainable development is one of the priorities in the G20 agenda, and energy has a central role as a fundamental condition for a country’s growth,” he stated, adding that “access to energy is crucial for creating create equal opportunities; these are two concepts that are inseparable in the 21st century.”
Alluding to the several agreements signed by the Argentine government, provincial governors, companies and workers to help stimulate and fulfil the huge potential of the energy sector in Argentina, President Macri announced that investments of over US$100 billion have already been earmarked for the energy sector in the last two years. These include 147 renewable energy projects in 18 provinces in 2017 alone, such as the Rawson Wind Farm in Chubut and Caucharí Park in Jujuy, which when completed will be the largest solar farm in Latin America.
“In 2015, renewable energies represented just 2% of electricity generation,” explained President Macri. By 2019, we project to reach 8%, and if we continue to incorporate more than 1,000 megawatts per year, we will reach 20% in 2025.”
“We must improve access to clean energy, for which education and awareness-raising are fundamental. This is why we are working with the Education Ministry to incorporate energy efficiency and the responsible use of energy in education systems at all levels. This is essential,” he concluded, “for achieving our goal of reducing energy consumption by more than 10% by 2030.”
The Energy Efficiency & Renewables Forum is being organized by the Argentine Ministry for Energy & Mining, as a side event to the G20 Energy Transitions Working Group meeting on 22-23 February. It is supported by the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC), the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Also giving introductory remarks at the forum was Juan José Aranguren, Argentine Minister for Energy & Mining. “We all recognize that renewable energy and energy efficiency, with their policies and programmes, are at the heart of a cleaner energy matrix,” he declared.
Minister Aranguren told the audience that the Argentine G20 presidency will continue with the G20 Energy Efficiency Leading Programme, and gave his thanks and appreciation to the Chinese and German presidencies for the work they had achieved in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Over the course of the forum, leading representatives from IPEEC, IEA and IRENA, together with senior officials from the Argentine Energy & Mining Ministry, including Sebastián Kind, Undersecretary for Renewable Energy, will explore how energy efficiency and renewable energy policies can be better coordinated and aligned as countries transition their economies to cleaner energy sources.
Other speakers include Ursula Borak, Deputy Director General for International Affairs, Fossil Energy Sources & Nuclear Energy, Germany, representing the last year’s German G20 presidency; and Kazushige Tanaka, Director for the International Affairs Division, Agency for Natural Resources & Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry, Japan, representing the Japanese G20 presidency which will be held in 2019.
Energy Minister Aranguren and Sergio Bergman, Minister for the Environment & Sustainable Development, will close the forum.
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Notes to Editors
Argentine G20 Presidency & G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG)
Argentina is the current holder of the G20 presidency, which rotates annually between its members. The G20 Leaders’ Summit will take place in the city of Buenos Aires on 31 November and 1 December 2018.
The G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) is one of several G20 working groups that feed into the G20 decision-making process. It was created by the Argentine G20 presidency and will establish the groundwork for policies energy efficiency, renewable energies, access to affordable energy, reducing inefficient subsidies on fossil fuels, making information on energy transparent, and the digitalization of energy markets, amongst others. This year’s work programme for the ETWG looks at energy policy cooperation, with a focus on developing energy grids that are more flexible, transparent, and clean. The working group will meet on 22-23 February and 13-14 June. The Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting will take place on 15 June.
More information about Argentina’s G20 presidency, including presidency priorities and key meeting dates, can be found on the G20 website: https://g20.org.
Renewable energy & energy efficiency in Argentina
Since the government came to power in December 2015, it has taken steps to promote investments in renewable energy, diversify the energy matrix and extend installed capacity. The government’s goal is for 20% of the total consumption of electric power to come from renewable sources by the end of 2025, with an interim target of 8% by the end of 2019. The 2025 target implies incorporating 10,000 megawatts (MW) of clean energy into the Argentine grid, with annual investments at around US$1.5 billion.
The successful RenovAr renewable energy procurement programme has already awarded 147 projects amounting to 4,466 MW in 18 of Argentina’s 23 provinces.
The law on the “Distributed Generation of Renewable Energies” integrated to the public electric network offers incentives for residential, commercial and industrial users to sell back clean, self-generated energy to the network.
For more information about Argentina’s renewable energy and energy efficiency policies, please visit the Ministry for Energy & Mining website: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/energiaymineria.
