Text by Daniel Gonzalez, Patagonia without Dams Campaign Coordinator

The Patagonia without dams campaign comprises a number of civil organizations, including NGO’s, foundations, research groups, chambers of tourism, local businesses, land owners, ranchers, homesteaders, the rich and the poor, university students and citizens overall fed up with the destruction of Chile’s natural environments by large corporations today controlling most of the economic activity through timber, mining, energy, agro, fishing, pulp, and related industries. Those controlling the economy, like everywhere else, control the agenda, and are intertwined in their interests frequently acting as a block to push the executive and legislative branches around in order to get their way to control production, water, soil, oceans and resources in general.

Two of the largest utilities in Chile, Endesa and Colbun, have become partners through a new company, Hidroaysen, which is now working on baseline studies to develop a series of 5 dams in the rivers Baker and Pascua, Chile’s last remaining wild rivers in the Patagonia region. Endesa is owned by Endesa Spain, in turn owned by Acciona, also from Spain and italian Enel, both among the world’s most powerful energy companies. Colbun is owned by the Matte family, one of Chile’s richest families, with investments across the board in Chile and abroad. CMPC, a timber and wood products company is highly dependent on US markets. Today the Matte conglomerate is anxious to portray themselves as environmental and socially responsible in order to better position themselves in markets abroad and like most wealthy families in Chile detest being singled out and connected to destructive and abusive projects.

Additionally, Transelec, a transmission company based in Chile, formerly owned by Hydroquebec, and currently under canadian Brookfield, would develop a 2300 km line to transport 2500MW of power from remote Patagonia all the way to Santiago, Chile’s capital. Canada’s pension fund system was largely responsible for funding Brookfield’s acquisition with little knowledge from pension members.

The dams would flood an estimated 14,000 acres of ranch lands and pristine landscapes and the line itself would destroy thousands of acres of native forests cutting through private properties as well as national parks and reserves. This proposal is by far the largest industrial intervention of chilean landscapes in the country’s history and will for ever change the fate of Chilean Patagonia opening virgin territories to further industrializations through timber exploitations, mining and ill development in general. In the past the region has defeated other large scale projects such as aluminum smelters and gold mining but this time, due to a fast growing energy sector, fueled by short sighted policies, inefficiencies and corporate controls, few in government or legislative branches are willing to stand up and demand real and better solutions currently under implementation in other parts of the world through renewables, conservation and efficiency.

As for the overall energy situation in Chile various studies have determined that the ongoing increases in demand must be addressed through efficiencies, conservation and renewables, in combination with run of the river and additional hydrogeneration in highly intervened watersheds already altered by previous dams. Additional options include geothermal, and upgrading technologies in transmisión and coal power units.

A critical element in Chile’s energy dilemma has been the total absence of long term planning and policies with accent on the management of demand. In recent months the goverment has accepted invitations by California energy experts to begin implementation of solutions based on this state’s successful experiences in areas such as renewables and conservation.

In this scenario, a core group operating an opposition campaign, and grouped under a coalition known as CDP, are working on many different fronts to bring down Hidroaysen and Transelec’s proposal. Thanks to committed individuals working on the campaign, the dams issue has gained track and is now one of the top issues in the national agenda and has generated enough public support (53% against the dams) that government, politicians, and the companies are now paying attention and taking the opposition campaign seriously. Through dynamic legal actions, media, publications, talks, and good old activism the Patagonia without Dams campaign is by far the most visible enviro campaign ever to unfold in Chile.

Timing is everything and the campaign has now entered a vital phase as the companies try to influence decisión makers, land owners, local politicians, and the public at large that to resolve the energy crunch there is no way out but to dam Patagonia. A crucial step in the process, the submission of EIA’s, is expected to take place within the next few months, which formally brings the government into the race, allowing them to shape an opinion about the projects and initiate assessments for approvals or rejections. Once in the pipeline, the battle takes uphill but much remains available to delay and obstruct given the complexities and scale of the projects. Additional steps in the overall strategy also include amplifying international pressure on the multinationals involved in these projects by bringing the issue to shareholders and potential funders such as IMF, private banks and governments in Canada, USA, and Europe. A number of legal initiatives have already been submitted to internacional courts and nationally multiple legal challenges have been taken into local courts.