Latin America Goes Electric: The Growing Social Challenges of Hydroelectric Development

摘要: Hydroelectricity was, for many years, one of the main ways to meet new electricity needs Latin American countries. This is evidenced by presence some larger plants worldwide and high hydroelectric participation in all matrices (Figure 1). Faced with growing prospects future economic development, an underlying concern how respond important demands electricity. In several countries, governments electric companies have opted continue construction hydropower plants, especially large-scale ones, as means meeting this challenge. However, major projects formulated recent years been put check various difficulties, even stopped. Despite different political, regulatory, conditions that exist America, there are common elements difficulties faced these projects. While past, hydroelectricity was successful response higher consumption, societies changed, technology faces cultural, social, political conditions.