Argentina embraces energy conservation

BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Recent energy conservation efforts by Argentina's government have saved the nation the equivalent of 400 megawatts.

El Cronista reported Tuesday that Argentinean President Cristina Kirchner told participants at the opening of the 24th World Gas Conference in the capital Buenos Aires that her administration's policies promoting the rational and efficient use of energy, begun at the end of 2007, to "foment, promote, and increase investment in the real economy" to sustain economic growth had saved the country "400 megawatts, which is the equivalent of what is generated by Atucha 1" nuclear power station.

Other Argentine government officials attending the 24th World Gas Conference included Planning Minister Julio De Vido and Energy Secretary Daniel Cameron.

A conference panel discussed the implications of a just released major study by the International Gas Union on rising natural gas demand, which concluded that economic and environmental considerations will drive global gas demand to more than 4 trillion cubic meters) per by 2030, a 25 percent increase from the current level of global demand of about 3 trillion tcm.