Hydropower plants have generated the lion’s share of Latin America’s electricity for decades. But while hydro stations still account for nearly 60% of the region’s generating capacity, they’ve begun ceding ground to another power source: natural gas. Quietly, investment in natural gas exploration, plant construction and distribution has burgeoned from Argentina to the U.S.-Mexican border as Latin nations scramble to meet galloping energy demand. Propelled by deregulation and the elimination of barriers to cross-border investment, the shift reflects a move away from big-ticket, state-controlled hydropower schemes to smaller gas-power projects backed by the private sector. The trend brings with it a mixed bag of environmental consequences. Natural gas burns cleaner than both coal and fuel oil, and it creates fewer... [Log in to read more]