Resistance to Energy Transition - The Case of Argentina

Global phenomena of climate change on the one hand and not predictable technological risks of energy supply on the other hand are challenging not only Germany and the European Union but society, politics, science and industry worldwide. The answers to these challenges are very different. Some countries are screening their existing energy concepts and are searching ways of alternative energy, such as legislation on clean technologies, so-called eco-innovation. Others are rather reluctant and resist the trend to energy transition. In the Latin American and Caribbean region the question of energy transition appears in a time of increasing demand of energy. Between 1990 and 2009 Electricity Generation growth rate was over 4 percent per year. Regarding the energy transition, the good news is, that in most countries of this regions the renewables have already a high share: Hydropower is the most important source, natural gas is also growing. Oil is declining. The Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) therefore has a lower carbon footprint than other regions (Ijjas-Vasquez 2012). Nevertheless, not all the countries make the same efforts regarding climate change mitigation; One example of a laggard regarding climate change and energy transition policies is Argentina (Franchini 2013). Though the current government under Mauricio Marci makes big efforts regarding the installation of wind and solar plants, for long years the country did not use its potential for renewable energies. Using the case of Argentina under the Kirchner Government (2007-2015), we analyze the motives and legitimation strategies to resist the energy transition. We research, how the federal government framed its energy policies in terms of competitiveness and sustainability. The paper is based on an analysis of the Argentine energy plan and interviews with officials and renewable energy lobby organizations made by the author in 2015. We use concepts on policy framing and regime legitimacy in order to analyze how resistance to energy transition can be legitimized. References FRANCHINI, Matías; VIOLA, Eduardo (2013). Discounting the Future: The Politics of Climate Change in Argentina. In: HELD, David; ROGER, Charles; NAG, Eva-Maria (Hg.). Climate governance in the developing world. Cambridge: Polity, p. 113–133. IJJASZ-VASQUEZ, Ede Jorge (2013). Inclusive green growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. LAC opportunities for all. Washington DC: World Bank.