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Wind Power News: Chile
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Chile’s Temucuicui says no to 155-MW wind scheme
Chile’s autonomous Temucuicui Mapuche community on Monday announced it is strongly opposed to the construction of a planned 155-MW wind farm, as it views it as a form of “plundering, attack and usurpation” of its ancestral territory. The announcement comes just a couple of weeks after the country’s Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA) gave the green light for the wind park to be built on ancestral Mapuche territory, namely the towns of Los Lolocos, Pinoleo, Pichilen, Pitriqueo and Pailahueque. According to . . . Complete story »
Comunidades denuncian nula participación en consulta indígena por parque eólico en Llanquihue
[Indigenous communities denounce lack of meaningful consultation about Llanquihue wind energy project] Las comunidades mapuche williche de Llanquihue (Región de Los Lagos) denunciaron las transgresión de sus derechos y de lo estipulado en el Convenio 169 de la OIT en el marco de la instalación del proyecto eólico Aurora, ubicado en el sector de Colegual y propiedad de la empresa AM Eólica Llanquihue Spa. El proyecto, aún en proceso de calificación, fue acogido a trámite el 13 de octubre d . . . Complete story »
Parques eólicos acrecentarían la grave crisis hídrica en la isla de Chiloé
[Wind projects would add to severe water crisis on island of Chiloé – There could be eight projects built with giant turbines 150 meters in height, on delicate ecosystems.] Podrían ser ocho los proyectos que se instalarían, con grandes aerogeneradores, de 150 mt de altura, sobre delicados ecosistemas que son capaces de almacenar agua y que no estarían protegidos medioambientalmente. En un principio fue la llegada de las salmoneras, luego las plantaciones de eucaliptus y ahora, aunque parezca contradictorio, la generación . . . Complete story »
Chile environmental body OKs 310-MW wind farm project
Chile’s environmental regulator has given the green light to the third and last portion of energy firm E-CL’s $685 million wind park project, which is expected to generate up to 310 megawatts, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. The three wind parks in the mineral-rich north of the country are planned near the town of Calama, close to many huge copper mines, including state-owned Codelco’s Chuquicamata and Radomiro Tomic deposits. Steep power prices and uncertain future supply are . . . Complete story »
Mainstream halts work on Chilean project
Irish developer Mainstream Renewable Power has halted building work on the 18MW Laguna Verde project in the Valparaíso region of central Chile amid reports the project had suffered criminal damage. According to the reports, local opponents to the project have repeatedly sabotaged machinery leading to fears of greater damage in the future once the project’s 1.5MW turbines are installed. Mainstream confirmed it has dropped the project. In a statement it said it had decided to focus on larger-scale projects such . . . Complete story »
Consultation claim stops 112MW build
The construction of Ecopower’s 112MW Chiloe wind farm has been suspended after the Chilean supreme court found that a local indigenous community had not been properly consulted during the environmental impact approval process. The court ruled that the company had failed to consult the community in accordance with United Nations International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention 16 – ratified by the Chilean government in 2008 – which protects indigenous and tribal peoples’ rights. Chilean-Swedish-owned Ecopower is seeking a revision of the . . . Complete story »
Victory highlights: March 24–30
United States Wind power tax credit again dies in Senate National Wind Watch March 29, 2012 Legislation that would have extended lucrative tax credits for wind power development companies died in the Senate today when supporters failed to get the needed 60 votes to end debate. This was the third failed attempt this spring to extend the production tax credit, which expires at the end of the year. Without the promise of that crucial subsidy, developers are already having a . . . Complete story »
High court suspends Ecopower wind farm on Chiloe Island
Chile’s Supreme Court suspended on Friday the environmental approval of a controversial wind farm planned for Chiloe Island in southern Chile. Many scientists and environmental groups had expressed concern that the Chilean-Swedish owned Ecopower’s plan to construct 56 wind turbines on Mar Brava beach at Chiloe could threaten one of the most important habitats in the Southern Hemisphere for the endangered great blue whale due to increased boat traffic and possible acoustic contamination from the construction and operation of the . . . Complete story »
Chile’s supreme court halts wind farm project and orders consultation with Mapuche people
On Friday, March 23rd, the Chilean Supreme Court handed down a decision in favor of a Huilliche-Mapuche community who were trying to stop Ecopower – a Chilean-Swedish company – from building 56 wind turbines on the island of Chiloé. The Huilliche community claimed, among other things, that they were never effectively consulted about the project and that the project would negatively affect Mapuche ceremonial sites and burial grounds. The Supreme Court agreed that consultation had not occurred and ordered that the project . . . Complete story »
Chile supreme court blocks 112 MW wind project
Chile’s supreme court yesterday ruled against the environmental permit awarded to the 112 MW Chiloe wind power project due to the lack of preliminary consultations with local indigenous communities. The appeal against the project came from the indigenous community of Antu Lafquen de Huentetique. The appeal was initially rejected by Chile’s Puerto Montt court of appeal in October 2011. However, the supreme court said that the environmental authorities had acted arbitrarily by not making necessary consultations with the community. Therefore, the . . . Complete story »
