Winds of Change Bring Renewable Energy to Venezuela

Venezuela may be known as an oil country, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t taking steps to explore the renewable energy sources of the future.

News came today that the state oil company PDVSA is beginning to invest in wind power. A Spanish company called Gamesa has been contracted to install and maintain machinery that will deliver 100 megawatts of wind power to Venezuela.

The country’s first wind farm will be located in the state of Falcon, an area of the country which juts out into the Caribbean with its arid Coro peninsula. This land mass is so desert-like, it has sand dunes that are protected as part of the Medanos de Coro National Park (pictured here).

According to Reuters, 76 wind turbines will be installed. The pricetag: almost $150 million.

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Venezuela on the Road to Clean Energy

The Associated Press announced recently that “Chavez will swap gas-guzzlers for clean cars.”

The news may seem surprising coming from an oil producing country that claims what may be the largest reserves of crude in the world. Gas prices are subsidized by the state in Venezuela, and — as in the US — cars are a big part of local culture.

Things are now beginning to change. The state oil company PDVSA has opened a conversion center to turn regular, gas-burning cars into cleaner vehicles that run on natural gas. Bloomberg reported that nearly 1,000 cars will be converted by the end of the year, and automakers will be required to have 30% running on natural gas by April 2009.

The issue of environmental sustainability has caught on in Venezuela in recent years. Part of the constitution is dedicated to the environmental rights and responsibilities of citizens. The law states: “It is a fundamental duty of the State, with the active participation of society, to ensure that the populace develops in a pollution-free environment…”

Looks like things are moving the right direction.

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After the Olympics, Venezuela to Invest More in Sports

With the Beijing Olympics now behind them, Venezuela’s top athletes are being honored back home. Above, President Chavez is shown with the women’s national softball team.

One thing they have to look forward to is the creation of a sports office by the state-owned oil company, PDVSA. This latest social program — others include funds for health, education, and other essential areas — promises to increase the support that athletes are given in Venezuela.

Despite strong showings in volleyball, softball, and taekwondo (a bronze!), Venezuela’s delegation of 100 athletes in Beijing offered just a glimpse of what the country can accomplish.

Check out the full story from AP and Reuters.

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Venezuela Helping Paraguay

With the people of Paraguay still celebrating last Friday’s swearing-in of the new President and former “Bishop of the Poor” Fernando Lugo, a dozen new accords signed between that country and Venezuela are making the future look even brighter.

Presidents Chavez and Lugo (pictured at right, singing) signed 12 accords. One of them is designed to help Paraguay avoid energy shortages. The Venezuelan oil company PDVSA will send 23,500 gallons of oil per day to the small country in order to “guarantee the energy sovereignty of Paraguay.”

Also included in the deal is a one-time supply of diesel fuel — an amount of 440,476 barrels — to stave off shortages that are plaguing Paraguay.

Cooperation on energy issues in the Americas has been a top policy priority for the Chavez administration. As one of the world’s largest exporters of oil, Venezuela has been able to lend a hand to needy people in countries from Argentina to the U.S.

This news shows that cross-border cooperation on energy pays off! To read more from PDVSA’s website in Spanish, click here, or for an English-language AP story, click here.

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Two Animal Tales from Venezuela

For those with an interest in the wild world of big cats and other critters, two news stories from this week will surely delight.

First off, archaeologists have discovered the only known remains of the long-extinct scimictar cat (of the saber-toothed tiger family) on the South American continent. Fossils of 6 of the big cats dating back 1.8 million years were found alongside those of panthers, wolves, camels (!), condors, ducks and horses.

Any guesses as to how these archaeological gems were unearthed? Yep, while digging for oil! Employees of the state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) came across them while prospecting in Monagas State.

Researcher Ascanio Rincon of the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Investigation told AFP, “It’s South America’s most important discovery in 60 years.”

Now, to bring our story up to the present day, Venezuelan zookeepers are looking forward to a little help from their counterparts in Cuba. The Cubans will send animals to Venezuela in exchange for medical equipment as part of an ongoing barter between the countries. Some 10 specimens are under negotiation, including a six-month old giraffe named “Evo” in honor of Bolivia’s President Evo Morales. Reuters has the scoop.

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Corporate Responsibility, Venezuelan Style

A little over a week ago, we brought you highlights from the Venezuela-Citgo energy efficient lighting program. Before that, we reported on their discounted heating oil program and the Bronx development project. Today, we bring you the latest in Citgo’s efforts to give back to American communities in need.

In a Maryland suburb just outside of Washington DC, Citgo and Venezuela announced a $1.5 million donation to CASA de Maryland (CASA), a service and advocacy organization assisting Latinos and other immigrants. Just as with the free light bulb program, Citgo’s donation will help this non-profit replicate the successful model of cooperatives that has flourished in Venezuela in recent years.

According to CASA, comprehensive educational, vocational training, and economic development programs will be created through the grant and will serve about 5,000 low-income participants. Read the Washington Post’s take in their article published yesterday.

Now that’s the kind of corporate responsibility we can get behind.

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