Caribbean & Central America - June 2012 (ISSN 1741-4458)

Wind power takes off: Last month Luis González, the project manager of the renewable energy company FERSA Panama SA, part of Spain’s FERSA, told the local media that the wind farms the company is currently developing, could begin operating next year – the first such wind plants to operate in Panama. On figures from the UN Economic Commission on Latin America (Eclac), 4,220.9MW of net electricity generated in Panama was produced by hydroelectricity while the rest, 3027.5MW, came from geothermal sources. In April 2011, the government of President Ricardo Martinelli passed legislation establishing incentives to promote clean energy. So far Panama’s public services regulator, Asep, has approved five wind farm projects, all of which are in the central Coclé province, which would generate a total of 564.8MW; Fersa is developing two wind farms: Toabré which is expected to generate 225MW and Antón (105MW). The other three projects - Nuevo Chagres (168.8MW), Marañón (18MW) and Portobelo, (48MW) - are being developed by Unión Eólica Panameña (UEP), part of Spain’s Unión Eólica Española (UEE). Asep is currently reviewing proposals for 17 new projects - seven in Coclé, five in Veraguas, two in Panama, two in Chiriquí, and one in Los Santos – which would generate a total 1528.3MW upon completion.

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