Max Puig warns rapid tech progress endangers long-term energy projects

Chile.- Max Puig, executive vice president of the National Council for Climate Change, highlighted at the Seventh Meeting of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Regional Committee in Santiago, Chile, that rapidly falling costs in renewable energy generation and storage threaten the viability of long-term fossil fuel investments. He stressed the importance of responding to market changes carefully but decisively to avoid being locked into outdated contracts or technologies that could prove more expensive than emerging solutions.

Puig praised ISA’s initiatives, including the Global Skills Center, which trains technicians from developing countries, and the SolarX Start-up Challenge, promoting renewable energy innovation among young entrepreneurs. He emphasized that ISA fosters the multilateral cooperation needed for small island developing states to build human capacity, update legal frameworks, and pursue a green, fair, resilient, and competitive energy transition.

Recalling the Dominican Republic’s goals to reach 25% renewable energy by 2025 and 30% by 2030 in alignment with national and international commitments, Puig also met with Chilean energy officials and regional sustainability leaders. ISA Director General Ashish Khanna underscored the Caribbean’s vast solar energy potential and ISA’s commitment to providing technical and financial support to accelerate renewable energy adoption across the region.