The national government is preparing a bill to promote an energy efficiency plan that includes technological reconversion, management of changes in consumption and public awareness. Among the most salient points of the initiative promoted by the Ministry of Energy, is to reward users who spend less light and gas. The goal is for the proposal to be dealt with in Congress in March, as soon as the ordinary sessions are inaugurated.
Official sources indicated that the purpose is “incorporate information and awareness programs on savings and efficiency at all levels: residences, industrial, public buildings”.
The Government’s efficiency plan has several axes: Technological reconversion, management of changes in energy consumption, how to lower energy consumption without losing comfort and, above all, raising awareness among the population regarding the crucial importance of saving energy..
With regard specifically to public buildings throughout the country, a better regulation of the air conditioning temperature is foreseen; air conditioning and lighting control (elevators, boilers, other motors that are inefficient); ornamental lights turned off from midnight; and discussion of efficiency criteria in the State purchasing systems.
The proposal also includes a regulatory framework for the labeling of homes and training programs so that they can certify. There will be “incentives for those who save and use resources efficiently”, advance in government offices.
The standard under development includes actions to be implemented in the residential order as well as measures to strengthen the generation and distribution segments.
The actions to be implemented in the federal order at the residential level will consist of the identification of measures of low and moderate cost, with a high impact on demand and GHG emissions, with a focus on vulnerable households; update of the energy block of the National Household Expenditure Survey (ENGH); the development of a single mechanism for calculating losses in the distribution system; the implementation of a unified energy efficiency labeling system for homes (for residential).
The bill that wants to optimize the use of energy contemplates, in terms of the generation segment, motorizing the development of new renewable generation projects; reduce forced generation; replace isolated thermal generation with renewable energy; reduce generation costs.
While the measures to strengthen the distribution segment contemplate the standardization of regulatory criteria in terms of quality of service, measurement of losses, costs of energy not supplied and the incorporation of new technologies.
The latest official data shows that until last November, energy imports from Argentina totaled 7,551 million dollars, equivalent to 9% of total external purchases, with an increase of 62% compared to the same period in 2021.
The intention of the authorities in the economic area is to seek “the greatest consensus with all the political blocs of Congress so that the project is dealt with in parliamentary commissions and comes out unanimously in the hall”, as they point out.
