Andean Nations Take First Step Toward
Regional Power Grid
Nov 20, 2007 - Xinhua
Senior energy officials from fiveAndean nations agreed
here Monday to work on a project that will connect
the electricity network in the region.
"The meeting was very fruitful. We have taken the
first step," Chilean Energy Minister Marcelo Tokman
told a press conference after a meeting with his counterparts
from Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.
"The idea is to study the benefits associated with
energy integration via power connections and to study
the cost and requirements," he said.
Tokman said that as the first step, an international
bidding process could be launched next March to develop
a feasibility study, which would set costs and evaluate
the norms needed for the project.
Once this step was completed, possibly by the end
of 2008, the five nations' governments would decide
whether to give the go-ahead to the project, which
would benefit the region in the long term, said the
minister.
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