Factsheet: PROURE

The MME created in 2010 the Rational and Efficient Use of Energy Program (PROURE), which is oriented to diminish the energy intensity, improve the efficiency and promote the non-conventional energy. This action plan has a 10 year time horizon. From 2010 to 2015, the program’s aim is to define strategies and projects focused on the objectives of the plan; while in the next five years those strategies would start to be implemented. The main guidelines of the program related with the energy sector are listed below. - Development of tax and economic incentives, and a sanctions regime for waste of energy, breaching of current regulations and tricking to the final user. - Promoting academic training in energy efficiency. - Capacity building for technological development, innovation and knowledge management in the productive sector, in order to consolidate a culture of sustainable energy. - Promoting the awareness of the availability of conventional and non-conventional energy sources. - Promoting the adoption of new technological and energetic models for fuel substitution in the context of distributed generation. - Diversifying the energy basket with security criteria, by characterizing the renewable resources and identifying the potential energy and the associated costs. - Promoting incentives and concessions schemes for non-interconnected areas, looking for incorporating the non-conventional sources in energy services. - Defining direct subsidies for energization of rural and isolated areas, designated to cover capital costs. Restructuring of current fossil fuels subsides in non-connected areas to promote renewable energy. The government has set a target of 5% of participation on non-conventional sources in the energy basket, 4% equivalent to biomass usage in thermal applications and transport, and 1% in electric generation. The non-conventional sources include Small hydro, solar, wind, geothermal energy, and biomass utilization. In electricity generation, this 1% corresponds to 3.5% of the national grid in 2015, and 6.5% in 2020. The total installed capacity in non-connected areas is 118 MW, 108.5 MW are generated with diesel plants. The purposed target for 2015 is to increase the coverage to 20%, with the additional 12% covered by renewable resources. The target for 2020 is a 30% of coverage with renewable energy. The PROURE program is divided into six subprograms: Institutional strengthening, education and capacity building in R&D, financial strategy and market driving, protection to final user and information rights, targets management and monitoring, and promotion of non-conventional energy sources. The present review has special interest in the last subprogram, promotion of non-conventional energy sources.