Energy Planing: Energy efficiency in Venezuela

Venezuela’s energetic strategy for lowering consumption is a recent topic. However, lowering the demand of electricity has been addressed by two fundamental national plans: Lightbulbs substitution, and state sanctions to consumers who don’t reduce their consumption. Fuel consumption hasn’t been a priority to the country on the other hand.

The lightbulb substitution started in the year 2009. The target was to change fifty two million lighbulbs. The measure was estimated to reduce the electricity consumption in 20%. Same light for the people, less MW demand, efficiency in this sense emerged as a national priority if looked through this measure. The actual impact of the measure is hard to find exactly, even though, a quick glimpse over Caracas’s slums- enormous surrounding areas were most of the people live- proves that the plan has been executed with success.

A year later (2010), even if efforts were being made through lightbulbs, an energy crisis occurred: River levels dropped dramatically due to a very hard dry season. Taking into account that more than 70% of the electricity comes from hydroelectric sources, it’s visible that the situation needed measures. The actual government reacted by sanctioning those who wouldn’t reduce their consumption in more than 10%, reason why everyone started to be proactive in executing measures for energy saving. Also planned suspensions of the electric service were made throughout the territory for months. Efficiency started to get into the mindset of Venezuelans when it came to energy, droved by fear to government sanctions, it wasn’t a matter of society’s environmentally friendly beliefs.

It’s important to point out that some power plants were forcedly stopped because they lacked of adequate maintenance, so inefficiencies from the State, which totally runs the electric system, have to be taken in account when we look at this particular energy crisis. The installed capacity in Venezuela is over 23.000 MW, and the consumption reaches around 10.000 MW, if better care would be taken over the power plants, energy crises wouldn’t be as present as they are now inside our energy risks.

However, no policies have been taken to reduce the fuel consumption, in fact, is totally the opposite. Gasoline prices in Venezuela are the cheapest in the world because of government permanent subsidies throughout history (4 US cents/ liter nowadays).

In synthesis, recent efforts have been made to reduce electric consumption. The principal driver of these are crises due to lack of adequate maintenance. If we take into account the installed capacity and the consumption, there should be enough capacity to address emergencies. I would add that Venezuela’s society also needs to change its consumption patterns, ecological and sustainable conscience campaigns would be pertinent in this sense, fear to government shouldn’t be the excuse for proactive behavior over energy saving and efficiency.

Sources:

ML (2010). Avanza el cambio de bombillos. Diario El Universal.Recovered 08/01/2012. Available at: http://www.eluniversal.com/2010/01/25/eco_art_avanza-el-cambio-de_1736682.shtml

Telesur (2010). Gobierno venezolano presentó un nuevo plan de ahorro energético para la capital. Telesur. Recovered the 08/01/2012. Available at: http://www.telesurtv.net/secciones/noticias/65049/gobierno-venezolano-presento-nuevo-plan-de-ahorro-energetico-para-la-capital/

Natalie García (2009). Ocho unidades de la represa del Guri se encuentran paralizadas. Noticias 24 via Diario El Correo del Caroní. Recovered the 08/01/2012. Available at:  http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/127299/ocho-unidades-de-la-represa-del-guri-se-encuentran-paralizadas/

Humberto Márquez (no date). El precio de la gasolina más barata del mundo. IPS Noticias. Recovered the 08/01/2012. Available at: http://ipsnoticias.net/nota.asp?idnews=90896 (I suggest reading, very ilustrative)

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