As Chile Votes for President, Diversification Key to Addressing Energy Crunch

As Chile Votes for President, Diversification Key to Addressing Energy Crunch

Heading into Sunday’s second-round presidential vote in Chile, there is one word that best sums up the energy policy debate in the Andean nation: diversification. That is, much like an individual pursuing a personal investment strategy, Chile is seeking an energy policy that brings increased diversity to its matrix.

More specifically, security, efficiency and sustainability are the clear-cut issues facing policymakers and energy sector participants alike; Chile currently imports 97 percent of its fossil fuels and depends on hydropower for 42 percent of its electricity generation.

In a twist to Sunday’s voting, President Sebastian Pinera’s successor is likely to be his predecessor, Michelle Bachelet, Chile’s first female president, who served from 2006 to 2010. Bachelet, a socialist representing the New Majority coalition, won almost 47 percent of the first-round vote on Nov. 17, a share far exceeding that won by her nearest opponent—Evelyn Matthei, of the Alianza pact, at 25 percent—but not large enough to avoid a second round on Dec. 15. Bachelet will likely prevail in Sunday’s vote.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review