Hydropower holds the key to energy integration between South American countries, according to Brazil’s energy minister Altino Ventura Filho.

Brazilian firm Wind Power Energia (WPE) has confirmed it has received the second and final part of a $150m loan from the Inter-American Development Bank.

Energias del Peru, the Colombian-Chilean consortium, has won an auction to build, operate and maintain two back-up thermoelectric power plants.

By the end of this year, the national wind energy association expects Mexico to be number 20 on the list of countries ranked in terms of wind power energy.

Elster has been contracted to supply 80000 smart meters to households in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by local utility Light.

Acciona Windpower, a subsidiary of Acciona, has signed a contract with CPLF Renovaveis for the supply, installation and maintenance of a 120 MW wind farm in Brazil.

BP Biocombustiveis, the Brazilian biofuels unit of BP (NYSE: BP), has announced that it will invest $25.5m in the development of a project for energy cogeneration from sugar cane bagasse.

Brazil has announced that no new nuclear power plants are to be built in the country for at least the next ten years.

Brazil is coming up with alternatives to tackle its growing energy demand. In the last decade, its population has grown considerably and is now close to 200 million. The government is in the process of developing several energy projects that are strongly supported by foreign capital. Through those projects, the Brazilian government wants to take electric power to areas where it would have been unthinkable in the recent past.

Parque Eolico El Arrayan (PEEA) has commenced construction work at the new $245m 115MW El Arrayan wind project in Chile, Latin America.

KDM Energia, a Chilean power firm, is set to expand the capacity of its Loma Los Colorados biogas fired power plant to 18 MW from its current 11.8 MW by the end of the first half of this year.

Spanish wind turbine maker Gamesa has inked a deal to supply wind turbines in Uruguay, representing a new market for the company in Latin America.

Chile is seeking to launch the first tender for renewable energy projects as early as next year, the country's undersecretary of energy Sergio de Campo told BN Americas.

Bolivia’s president Evo Morales has seized control of the Spanish company Transportadora de Electricidad (TDE) which runs around three-quarters of Bolivia’s grid.

Siemens Energy has received a first order from North America for the supply of its SGT-750 industrial gas turbine.

Bertin Energia, the electric power holding of Bertin Group, has given back concessions for the 300 MW Jose de Alencar thermal power plant in Brazil after its contract with the government came to an end.

Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente, a Spanish solar panel manufacturer, has signed a deal to develop a 25 MW photovoltaic (PV) plant in Ecuador with a local provider.

Colombia's electricity holding company Celsia SA plans to invest between $500m and $1bn in Peru, Chile and Central America, according to its president Juan Guillermo Londono.

Chile has completed the successful public auction of 20 areas for the exploitation of geothermal resources, the country's minister of Energy confirmed.