Articles

Mexico's IPC index hit its fifth record high in its past 10 sessions, closing at 6337.45 Nov. 26, representing a 60% increase over last year's closing tally of 3959.66 and making the exchange Latin America's hottest. Against this backdrop, Latin America's power market also continues to charge toward privatization and future development opportunities.

However, problems continue and some large pitfalls lurk in the shadows of reform. Brazil's privatization efforts and economy struggles forward. Despite Mexico's renewed economic growth, its power sector needs reform and serious levels of investment. And the Columbia kettle continues to boil over. I recently met an American energy company executive working in Columbia who counted himself lucky because only two of his peers had been kidnapped.

With this in mind, Latin America clearly deserves some special attention as the world's hottest emerging power market—and one of its most complex. To address this need for focused coverage and analysis, Power Online added Line on Latin America to its roster.

Line on Latin America will feature news and strategic market analysis provided by CG/LA Infrastructure and others who work closely with the companies and policymakers shaping Latin America's future energy markets. For Line on America's first installment, CG/LA Infrastructure provides a detailed analysis of what's in store for Mexico's power sector. And after the first of the year, Power Online will be adding a monthly column provided by "our man in Chile," but more on that later.

As is my hope for all of Power Online's content, I want Line on Latin America to provide those in the power generation industry news and insight they can use to make informed decisions about their jobs and the strategic directions of their companies.

By April C. Murelio
editor@poweronline.com