Abstract: The South American region has experienced a steady increase in its demand for electricity and faces several challenges in the development of the electricity sector. Among them, high fluctuations in hydro generation, high and volatile prices of fossil fuels, and environmental and social impacts associated to energy activities. Strengthening cooperation for cross-border electricity trade is considered a sustainable alternative for addressing these challenges. For the expansion of electricity trade among countries within the region, both infrastructure and a regulation that defines the conditions of the electric power exchanges between countries are required. A good regulatory framework would allow all market players to have access to the commercialization of energy with other countries in the region, guarantee that the treatment of exchanges is non-discriminatory, and maintain the efficiency, cost effectiveness and security characteristics operation of all electricity systems. In this context, this paper proposes a framework with the basic setting conditions for the import and export of energy from the “surplus” available for exchange. The empirical analysis of the regulatory proposal, based on simulations, shows that the exchange of energy from Chile with its neighboring countries is feasible in a clear and transparent manner, reducing the marginal costs of energy and the total cost of operation, keeping the average cost of generation relatively constant.

Abstract: The rapid development of salmon aquaculture worldwide and the growing criticism of the activity in recent decades have raised doubts about the capacity of the sector to learn from its own crises. In this article, we assess the discursive, behavioral and outcome performance dimensions of the industry to identify actual learning and lessons to be learned. We focus on the case of Chiloe Island, Chile, a global center of salmon production since 1990 that has gone through two severe crises in the last 15 years (2007-2009 ISAV crisis and 2016 red tide crisis). On the basis of a multi-method approach combining qualitative analysis of interviews and statistical data analysis, we observe that the industry has discursively learned the relevance of both self-regulation and the wellbeing of communities. However, at the behavioral and outcome performance levels, the data show a highly heterogeneous conduct that questions the ability of the sector as a whole to learn from crises. We conclude that detrimental effects for ecosystems and society will increase if learning remains at the level of discourses. Without significant changes in operational practices and market performance there are no real perspectives for the sustainability of the industry. This intensifies when considering the uneven responses to governance mechanisms. The sector needs to adapt its factual performance to sustainable goals and reflexively monitor this process. The first step for achieving this is to produce reliable data to make evidence-based decisions that align the operational dynamics of the entire sector with a more sustainable trajectory in the near future, as well as advancing towards hybrid and more reflexive governance arrangements.

Abstract: In Chile, the concept of sacrifice zones corresponds to those land surfaces in which industrial development was prioritized over the environmental impact that it caused. A high number of industries that emit pollutants into the environment are concentrated in these zones. This paper studies the atmospheric component of the Environmental Impact Declaration and Assessment�s (EID and EIA, respectively) environmental assessment instruments of the thermoelectric power plants in northern Chile, based on their consistency with current environmental quality regulations. We specify concepts on air quality, atmospheric emission regulations, and the critical parameters and factors to be considered when carrying out an environmental impact assessment. Finally, we end by presenting possible alternatives to replace the current methodologies and criteria for atmospheric regulation in areas identified as saturated or of environmental sacrifice, with an emphasis on both population health and an environmental approach.

Abstract: Second-to-second power imbalances stemming from renewable generation can have a large impact on the frequency regulation performance of isolated microgrids, as these are characterized by low inertia and, more commonly nowadays, significant renewable energy penetration. Thus, the present paper develops a novel frequency-constrained Energy Management System (EMS) that takes into account the impact of short-term power fluctuations on the microgrid's operation and frequency regulation performance. The proposed EMS model is based on accurate linear equations describing frequency deviation, rate-of-change-of-frequency, and regulation provision in daily microgrid operations. Dynamic simulations on a realistic CIGRE benchmark test system show the economic and reliability benefits of the presented EMS model, highlighting the need of incorporating fast power fluctuations and their impact on frequency dynamics in EMSs for sustainable isolated microgrids.

Abstract: The relationship between scientific knowledge and decision-making surrounding environmental issues is complex and represents a flourishing area of scholarship and practice. However, a sense of frustration persists regarding efforts to increase the use of science for decision-making. Regulations of copper smelter arsenic emissions developed in Chile during the 1990s represent a successful example of science informing policy making. The case involved production and use of local science in contrast to the common practice of copying international ambient standards. In this paper, we investigate arsenic regulation in Chile in the 1990s and focus on the role of the major science intervention during the process, project FONDEF 2-24. The case is examined through the lens of knowledge governance (van Kerkhoff and Pilbeam, 2017). This theoretically-oriented approach guides our critical reflection on the relationship between knowledge and policy making, taking into consideration the formal and informal rules that shape the intervention and the underlying social and cultural patterns. The success of the science intervention's influence on policy is better understood with such a perspective. We expand the knowledge governance approach by scrutinizing the relations of coherence between levels of analysis to assess their alignment. The approach could be helpful for studying other cases, particularly at times when a new field of policy is emerging.

Abstract: Dryland forests are the areas most threatened by climate change, urbanization and land-use change simulta-neously. Ecosystem services provided by Mediterranean dryland forests are have been in steep decline, and are extensively studied in the Mediterranean basin, however considerably less in other areas with Mediterranean climates. Knowledge of these services is necessary for the promotion of their conservation and restoration. Here, we synthesize current knowledge regarding the main ecosystem services provided by Chilean Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests and shrublands (SFSh). This knowledge allows for the valuation of SFSh in order to conserve, restore and study them. We found 158 studies, including technical reports, theses, and scientific literature regarding the social and environmental benefits derived from Chilean SFSh, though many did not use the term “ecosystem services” (ES). We found data on 19 ecosystem services with four or more studies per service. ES studies in Chile increased in number a couple years after Millennium Ecosystem Assessment published its synthesis in 2005. The most frequently reported services were provisioning services, especially medicinal plants and extracts. Despite the advances in knowledge, ecosystem services of SFSh appear to be rarely quan-tified, most frequently using oversimplified variable indicators. Services related to animal biodiversity, such as