Power to the People!

A PhD student presented her study, “Planting Gardens Over Garbage Cans,” documenting her interaction with a local association in Santo Domingo (Mexico City). Many in this community moved to the region seeking better economic and social opportunities, but are currently poor. The land they live on is coveted by large corporations and government planners because it sits on volcanic rock, which is stable and proven to be quite earthquake resilient. The electric and natural gas companies raised prices in an attempt to force the people out. In response, many in the local association stopped paying their bills. The companies reportedly countered by cutting electrical lines to the communities and associating with local gangs to intimidate. This has led to deep distrust and animosity between the local associations and the power companies. Due to history of corruption in the government, they are not trusted to resolve the conflict. So what can be done? One possible solution for the people is the same type of efforts being made in Bangladesh and Africa to move “off the grid” with renewable energy. The documentary, e2 Energy (PBS), describes the development of small voltaic panels and biogas generated in rural areas of Bangladesh. Similar efforts are being made in Africa (http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/12/08/africa-goes-grid-bring-power-rural-villages). Although half of Africa’s population does not have access to electricity, the use of microgrids has been powering local communities towards energy independence. Both cheaper voltaic cells and more efficient LED lighting has been fueling the move forward. Since it still costs quite a bit of money, the systems are often “rent to own”.  And, to alleviate the difficulties of traveling to cities for banking and financial transactions, a text-based, e-money has been established. The same type of system can be promoted in Latin America.