Sustainable Corridors: The Next Step in Transmission Lines in Chile

June 19, 2020

Jadoul G. LIFE Elia-RTE

As Chile and other Latin American countries decarbonize their energy sectors, they face an environmental paradox: More utility-scale renewables will require more transmission lines, and transmission lines have historically been controversial for impacts on flora, fauna, and communities. Renewable energy is fundamental to fighting climate change. So how do we mitigate the environmental and social impacts of transmission lines needed for more renewable energy?

One solution is for Chile’s transmission sector to adopt integrated vegetation management practices, which has helped address this quandary in other countries. In the LIFE Elia-RTE pilot project in Belgium and France, implementers demonstrated that these practices were more economic for transmission companies, more beneficial to communities, and better for attracting wildlife and restoring ecosystems than traditional practices. NRDC partnered with the Chilean Renewable Energy and Storage Association (ACERA) to organize a webinar that raises awareness for these practices and proposes a path to their implementation. The event featured presentations from implementers of the LIFE Elia project and a conversation among key actors in Chile’s energy sector.