Panama Investor Blog

Panama to develop 31 hydro projects of 1,047 MW by 2013

When coupled with new wind farms, this will nearly double Panama's current energy generation and make it possible to eliminate existing oil fired energy generators. Panama should be a net energy exporter within the next few years.

From Hydro review

Excerpts: Panama's utility regulator predicts the nation will add 31 hydroelectric projects totaling 1,047 MW through 2013.

Autoridad Nacional de los Servicios Publicos (Asep) said 15 of the projects are under construction “with a healthy rate of progress,” while the other 16 are in final design. The agency said the projects represent investment of US$2 billion, giving a strong boost to the Panama economy.

“This gives peace of mind that the market is growing because they can meet demand in coming years,” Asep said.

Panama’s current installed capacity is 1,663 MW, compared to peak demand of 1,120 MW, Asep said. Demand is expected to total 1,373 MW by 2013.

read the rest of the story here..

Panama's first wind farm a big one

La Prensa
Fersa Energies Renovables, SA, a Spanish company operating in three continents, won permission to build the first wind farm in Panama.

The company, based in Barcelona, won approval to develop the wind farm of 225 megawatts Toabre and connecting to the national grid of Panama, said President José María Roger, in a telephone interview yesterday.

Fersa is strengthening its presence abroad, where they benefit from government incentives to develop renewable energy as well as countries seek to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and control the emission of greenhouse gases.

In contrast, Spain is seeking to limit the wind under a plan for 2010 to 2020 renewables, according to the daily El Economista.

"Project funding Toabre be ready by early October and construction should begin later this year," said Roger.

FERS, which will implement the project through its subsidiary Toabre Panamanian Enrilews SA, which owns 92%, has provisional approval for another wind farm in Panama, a development of 246 megawatts.

Visualizing The Grid

I came across this interactive energy site which shows the various electric energy generating plants throughout the U.S.. You can see the energy sources, distribution, plant types and sizes. Oil represents a fairly small percentage of electric generation with most of it generated by coal and gas fired plants.  Very cool!
Click here to go to NPR

Floods boost hydro power production

One silver lining is the hydro's have been replenished and electricity costs may come down according to this article from La Prensa.

Excerpts from La Prensa;

Recent heavy rains may have caused devastation in the Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro provinces, but the swollen rivers are a boon for the generation of hydroelectric energy throughout the region.

In fact, upward of 80 percent of all energy consumed in the country Tuesday was derived from hydroelectric plants, according to a report by the Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica, S.A. (Etesa). The remaining 20 percent originated from thermal power and other sources.

“In the midst of the disaster, there is positive news concerning electricity rates,” said the Etesa Manager Isaac Castillo, who explained that abundant rainfall had caused the market price of energy to oscillate yesterday between $50 per megawatt when demand was low and $118 during peak use hours. Available capacity of the grid was 1,291 megawatts, with peak demand reaching 943 megawatts. Earlier this year, in May, energy prices spiked to $875 per megawatt.

Experts cautioned that the savings generated by all of that excess water won’t show up immediately on electricity bills. It is, however, an important factor in calculating energy rates for the first half of next year, said Víctor Urrutia, administrator of the National Authority for Public Services.