Through the exchange of knowledge and experience of sector specialists, project developers, officials from Member Countries and researchers, the following events have been planned: Hydrocarbons Workshop - Downstream State Investment (Brazil, 1st. week of April ), the Electricity Workshop (South America, May 26-27), Latin American and the Caribbean Energy Efficiency Seminar (Panama, July 7-8), Latin American and the Caribbean Biofuels Seminar (Chile, August, 18-19) , (Dominican Republic, September 21-23) and the Regional Energy Integration Forum (Nicaragua, October 27).

The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American Energy Organization, expresses its profound solidarity with the government and people of Chile, a Member Country of the Organization, as well as with officials from International Organizations and Diplomatic Missions against the tragedy that took place on Saturday February 25

The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American Energy Organization, expresses its profound solidarity with the government and people of Chile, a Member Country of the Organization, as well as with officials from International Organizations and Diplomatic Missions against the tragedy that took place on Saturday February 25, whose true extent is still uncertain.

On February 23 and 24, the Directive Committee Meeting No. 69 (CODI) was held in Mexico City which was attended by: nine Members Countries part of the CODI: Argentina, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the Dominican Republic and four OLADE'S Member Countries: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, thus demonstrating its commitment to the Organization.

Despite Latin America and the Caribbean's relevance on their renewable and nonrenewable energy resources, have lacked so far of a specialized channel of communication and discussion of energy sector issues that bring together academics, analysts, energy policy makers and implementers and other professionals. It is important to bear in mind that the Latin American Energy Organization is the only regional intergovernmental body that has among others, the functions of: i) promoting technical cooperation, exchanging and publication of scientific, legal and contractual information and encouraging the technology development and dissemination in energy-related activities and ii) promoting the formulation and common energy policy development as regional integration factor.

On February 18, 2010, the Executive Secretary of OLADE, Dr. Carlos A. Flórez P. and the Director of the Water Center for the Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean (CATHALAC), Dr. Emilio Sempris signed a Memorandum of Understanding MOU, which will promote mutual cooperation for sustainable energy development in the region. The MOU establishes a cooperation framework between OLADE and CATHALAC to develop activities, projects and / or joint programs in the following areas: Specialized support in energy issues, integrated management of water resource, mapping and use of renewable energy, climate change (its variability and effect on the energy sector in Latin America and the Caribbean), technical assistance and training among others.

The Latin American Energy Organization- OLADE_ has since its inception in 1973, as one of its objectives: “ to promote the proper preservation of energy resources in the Region, through their rational use”, which joins the promotion of measures to prevent environmental pollution caused by the energy sector. On this basis, one of the strategic lines of the Organization is promoting energy efficiency in all its Member Countries.
The Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) has put at general public's disposal two publications regarding hydrocarbon sector in Central America. The first relates to the different types of contracts for hydrocarbons exploration and exploitation in the region and the second has to do with the methodologies used in each country to determine the price of major oil products, with a special section subsidy on the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Starting next February 22 to March 10, it will be carried out the training course on the use and applications of the National Energy Information System (SIEN), version 3.0, which will be primarily aimed at officials and government agencies in the energy sector, energy companies from public and private sector of Member Countries or Participant Country of OLADE. Private sector professionals are allowed to participate. The course's main objective, is training on the methodology of energy balances preparation in terms of final energy, applied to the National Energy Information System – SIEN.

OLADE has launched the Energy Efficiency Program for Latin America and the Caribbean (PALCEE) which consists of technical visits to Ministries of Energy in El Salvador, Grenada, Jamaica and Nicaragua, in coordination with the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). PALCEE`s main activity is to develop a proposed institutional framework to support Energy Efficiency programs in each of the beneficiary countries.

OLADE, sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), carried out the Panel of Experts "Outlook for Nuclear Power Generation in Latin America and the Caribbean"". Through virtual communication system it was held a broad discussion among 142 participants

The Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American Energy Organization, deeply moved by the earthquake that shook Haiti, wishes to express its solidarity to the government and people of that Member Country of the Organization, as well as to officials of international organizations and official missions that have suffered with this tragedy whose true extent is yet unknown.

OLADE has been working with the aim of making energy efficiency a sustainable resource for the region, considering its local availability, equity of benefits achieved and the impact on environmental protection.

It was great news having 359 professionals enrolled form 18 Member Countries thus, the Latin American Energy Organization through its Virtual Energy Training Program (CAPEV) organized the 13th course of 2009: Energy Planning

After the XL Meeting of Ministers held last October 30 in Cuba, the Latin American Energy Organization turns its efforts to comply with the Decision of La Habana

The Latin American Energy Organization, OLADE, will conduct two of its most important annual events. These are the II Energy Efficiency Seminar and the IV Regional Energy Integration Forum, both are opportunities to discuss and strengthen an energy efficiency culture.

A Renewable Energy training workshop was held on October 13, 14 and 15, 2009, at the OLADE headquarters, a as part of the "Project Actions' Implementation to Facilitate Renewable Energy Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (SEAF)" which is developed by UNEP and URC.

On September 17 and 18, 2009 it was held in Quito the Regional Rural Electrification Workshop, with the aim of knowing experiences in programs and projects in some countries of the Region and share the results of OLADE / UC / CIDA Rural Electrification project

Last September 17, the workshop on "Natural Gas Markets in the Caribbean: LNG Projects" was held in Barbados. Economies of scale can reduce unit costs and thereby improve the profitability of a project.

Barbados is the first Member Country of OLADE who has the version 3.0 of the National Energy Information System, which was installed in the Ministry of Finance, Investment and Energy of the country, on August 12, 2009, as a result of several months of work between OLADE and the technical team of SIEN from Barbadian when configuring the database of the energy matrix.

According to OLADE, energy efficiency must be understood as a profitable resource, as well as a decisive contribution to improving the welfare of populations and contribute to the care of the environment, hence the importance of promoting dialogue as the II he Latin American and Caribbean Seminar for Energy Efficiency, to be held in La Habana, Cuba on October 27, 2009.

OLADE qualifies as a step forward in the integration processes in the region. The agreement signed last July 25, 2009, between the president of Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, and his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, allows free availability for trading Paraguayan energy in the Brazilian market and the possibility to trade it with third countries.

Eighty-three professionals from Ministries and Energy Departments from 18 Member Countries of OLADE are participating since July 27, 2009 in two virtual courses taught by OLADE on "The use of JODI tools for the collection and organization of Oil data: The Extended Form" and the "Technological Trends and applications of photovoltaic systems".

The Executive Secretary of OLADE met from July 20 to July 24, 2009, in Medellin, Colombia with representatives of UNIDO and government delegates from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Dominican Republic and Uruguay in order to present and discuss technical aspects for the implementation of the Observatory of Renewable Energy Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean.

A legislative proposal to reduce the losses of electricity was submitted by OLADE in the report entitled "Technical assistance on loss reduction in distribution networks in Nicaragua", developed as part of the project Support to the Integration and Energy Development of Central America. The report also includes technical /structure aspects of the Nicaraguan electricity sector.

OLADE has asserted on its willingness to offer consultancy to Barbados and Jamaica, through a series of virtual meetings conducted with the aim of supporting the configuration of the database of the National Energy Information System - SIEN version 3.0, provided by the Organization to its Member Countries in order to afford a tool that contributes to policy formulation and decision making and investments.

"Since 1997, Mexico reduced the energy intensity of 1.26 to 1.08 barrels of oil equivalent per thousand dollars of gross domestic product (GDP)." This information was part of a presentation that Executive Secretary of OLADE made during the XII Meeting of Energy and Mines Commission of the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO) on July 9, 2009, in Quito, Ecuador.

The subject of "Integration and Energy Efficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean" is under which the Latin American Energy Organization has convened to the highest energy authorities in the region to participate in the XL Meeting of Ministers of OLADE to be held next October 30, in La Habana, Cuba, where the energy ministers will discussed issues of regional and subregional interest.

In last meeting held on June 25,in Panama, the Executive Secretary of OLADE and the General Director of CATHALAC agreed on evaluating the possibility of a framework agreement between the two international entities in order to work on the alternative energy sources, as well as actions and strategies to reduce the vulnerability of the energy sector to the impacts of climate change.

The fourth edition of the Latin American Carbon Forum will gather all the actors of the carbon market, project developers and owners, representatives from National offices of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), international organizations and investment promotion agencies, executive bodies of the CDM, broker companies in the carbon market and Utilities service companies, event that will take place in Panama City, from June 24 to June, 2009.

To spread the methodological knowledge of the energy forecasting and simulation is the objective of the Seminar called: Long range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) to be held in Quito, Ecuador on June 22 to 26, 2009. The course will be given to professionals from the Ministries and Departments of Energy from various countries of the Region.

Representatives from 32 countries gathered at the 7th International Conference for the Joint Oil Data Initiative. They meet to discusses the progress on updating the global oil statistics proposed by the Joint Oil Data Initiative and the potential positive impact that the transparent timely and reliable information can have in the oil market.

Representatives from eight countries discussed initiatives for energy integration in South America during the First Virtual Meeting of National Coordinators of South America, held on May 27, 2009. The National Coordinators were pleased by this initiative and conveyed their willingness to provide information that contributes to the activities proposed by OLADE to support regional and sub-regional energy integration.

The 7th International Conference for the Joint Oil Data Initiative-JODI, will be held on June 4th and 5th, 2009 in Quito Ecuador. This gathering has convened to representatives of more than 90 countries. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss on the progress in collecting information from countries both producers and consumers of hydrocarbons. This will help to achieve the updating and improvement of a global database.

OLADE received the certification ISO 9001-2008 granted by Bureau Veritas, which reaffirms its commitment of "quality work to meet the regional and sub-regional energy integration needs of the Member Countries, fulfilling the objectives of the Lima Agreement, and the decisions of the Meeting of Ministers, along with motivated staff, teamwork and continuous improvement of defined processes."

"The productive and market differences in the countries of the region are reflected in their state-owned oil and gas enterprises." This is one of the conclusions enounced at the analysis on "Regulatory Frameworks: Efficient State Owned Oil and Gas Enterprises". This study was carried out as part of the Sustainable Energy Program developed by OLADE in coordination with the Canadian International Development Agency and the University of Calgary.

The third meeting promoted by the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) with Ambassadors of its member countries and representatives of international organizations, provided an opportunity to present and discuss on-going energy projects in the region and the status of regional and sub-regional energy integration in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ministries and Secretariats of Energy and Agriculture, public and private enterprises involved in energy, agriculture and the environment, international bodies, research centers, and universities will share experiences with developments in bio-fuel production at the IV Latin American and Caribbean Bio-fuel Seminar on April 28-30 in Cali, Colombia.

In coordination with the Argentine Secretariat of Energy, OLADE has launched a virtual course on "Electric Grid Emissions Factor using the Methodology proposed by the Secretariat of the Climate Change Convention", with 308 participants registered from 19 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. This course is part of the Virtual Energy Training Programme (CAPEV from the Spanish).

Mohammed El-Baradei, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, visited the headquarters of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) on March 24, 2009.

According to OLADE, the balance between bio-fuel production and food security in Latin America and the Caribbean will be strengthened by using of second and third-generation technologies, Due to the importance of this issue OLADE, IICA, FAO, and the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy, are organizing the IV Latin American and Caribbean Bio-fuel Seminar in Cali, Colombia, on April 28 to 30, 2009.

New international strategies and cutting-edge technologies for bio-fuel production are among the subjects to be addressed by the region's energy agents at the IV Latin American and Caribbean Bio-fuel Seminar to be held on April 28 to 30 in Cali, Colombia. This event is organized by OLADE, IICA, FAO, and the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy, with technical support from Brazil's Ministry of Energy and Mines.

Professionals from the energy ministries and secretariats of Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago, OLADE member countries, and of Algeria, a participant country, are training through the course on "Useful Energy Balances as a Planning Tool", offered as a part of OLADE's Virtual Energy Training Programme (CAPEV from the Spanish).

The CODI had its 66th meeting on March 5 and 6, 2009, in Quito, Ecuador, attended by delegations from Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the member countries of direct, control, analize and evaluate the organization's programs and strategies. Present also were delegations of Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Trinidad & Tobago.

The Directive Committee (CODI from the Spanish), OLADE's follow-up and control body whose member countries are Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, will hold its 66th meeting this March 5 and 6 at the organization's headquarters in Quito, Ecuador.

OLADE is joining in the celebration of the Dominican Republic's Independence Day, February 27, 1844, by establishing the week of February 23 to 27, 2009, to honour that member country. Below the organization presents some of its characteristic aspects and energy potential.

Delegates of the energy ministries and secretariats of Barbados, Cuba, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago will meet on February 19, 2009, in Kingston, Jamaica, for a sub-regional workshop on Energy Forecasting for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Since February 9, 2009, 195 professionals from energy ministries and secretariats and public-sector energy enterprises of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Venezuela are participating in the virtual course on "Useable Energy Balances as Planning Tools".

OLADE joins in the celebration of Grenada's Independence Day, February 7, 1974, by setting aside the week of February 6 to 11, 2009, to honour that member country. The organization presents a few of the highlights of its energy sector below.

On January 29, 2009, during the inauguration of the Executive Development Programme on Energy Planning, Ecuador's Minister of Electricity and Alternative Energy, Alecksey Mosquera, thanked OLADE for its support to professionals in the Ecuadorian energy industry through its training programmes.

Officials of the Ministries of Energy, universities and research institutes of Ecuador will benefit, at no cost, from the Executive Development Programme on Energy Planning to be launched on January 29, 2009, at the headquarters of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) in Quito, Ecuador.

The Latin American Energy Organization presented a report on Installation of the Solar Heating System in the Community Tourism Refuge of Lípez, State of Potosí, Bolivia, an action that is part of the second phase of the Rural Electrification Project, implemented by OLADE, the University of Calgary (UC), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), in coordination with Bolivia's Viceministerio de Electricidad y Energías Alternativas (VMEEA).

During 2008, OLADE's virtual training programme (CAPEV from the Spanish), achieved 1,122 participants, mostly Ministry officials and State-owned companies in member country energy sectors. This brings the number of training events since October 2006, when CAPEV was implemented, to a total of 1,998, over 50% greater than initial estimates.

Version 3 of the National Energy Information System (SIEN) is to be launched in March 2009, during the 66th meeting of OLADE's Directive Committee. This computer program was designed by the organization to facilitate data gathering, management and processing for different sectors of country-wide energy fields in each of its member countries.

OLADE joins Haiti in celebrating another anniversary of its Independence Day, January 1, 1804, by designating the week of January 12 to 16, 2009, to honour that member country. Below, OLADE shares some of the features and potential of its energy industry.

The Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) is helping to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of victory for the Cuban Revolution, on January 1, 1959, by establishing the week of January 5 to 9, 2009 as the Week in Honour of Cuba. OLADE invites you to familiarize yourself with some of the features and potential of the energy industry in that Member Country.

The Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) has made its latest Energy Statistics Report publicly available, as an annual publication that compiles official energy information provided by its member countries.