Opportunities for renewable energy resources (hydro, wind, solar, biomass and geothermal sources) in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

The Latin American and the Caribbean energy sector have experienced many changes since the 1990´s, for example the construction of new power stations, a better coverage of the electrical service, the liberalization of the sector and an integration of the electrical markets by regions. With all these achievements, the energy sector is very dependable from fossil fuels to generate electrical energy.First, it was important to see if there exists an institutional framework to support the use of renewable sources moreover if there are any incentives to promote them. Renewable energy sources potentials are very important since electricity generation is based on how much sources truly exist. Second, we gathered some information like GDP per capita, electricity consumption per capita, power plant capacity and some other statistics that may forecast the future use of renewable energy sources and set some scenarios. The region has a vast variety of renewable energy resources to generate electricity but is still dependable of non-renewable resources. According to the demand of electricity in the region, it is possible in some countries to fulfill it only with renewable resources.<br />