The deputies of the Neuquino Popular Movement, Marita Villone and María Laura du Plessis and the deputy of the Frente de Todos, Mariano Mansilla, called for today at 11, in the Neuquén Legislature, to an intersectoral table to debate and discuss the reality of hydroelectric plants, in the face of the advance of the national state to try to take away power from the provinces for their administration.
He and the provincial legislators announced that it is a call for all political parties, unions and social organizations.
After the reform of 1994 one cannot speak of an exclusive power of the National State on the management of hydroelectric dams. It will be necessary to define a set of actions to follow, both legal and political,” said Mansilla.
The deputy highlighted that it is a concurrent power between the provinces and the Nation and warned about “a covert extensionas happened with the Paraná waterway”.
For some time now, the decision of the national government has been around that the operation of the dams in the Neuquén and Limay rivers pass into the hands of the national state. A few days ago, it was confirmed that Argentine Energy Limited Company (Enarsa) had received instructions to take control of them.
In the province of Neuquén, are the complexes The Chocón Arroyitowhich operates the Italian firm Enel, alicura which is in charge of AES Argentina, Banderita Plainwhich is in the hands of Orazul Energy and Eagle Stone, which operates Central Puerto. This last concession will end on December 29 of this year.
The decision of the Nation is based on the reason that the concessions of the hydroelectric complexes will soon expire and according to the official disposition. “it is necessary to guarantee public safety and the continuity in the supply of electricity required by the entire system. And for this reason it is expected that when the deadlines expire, the assets will return to the hands of the national state and Enarsa will be in charge of the administration of the dams.
This resolution did not sit well with the local government. was his own Governor Omar Gutierrez the first to raise their voices by assuring that it is an “illegitimate, illegal, anti-democratic, authoritarian and centralist measure that cannot be justified with the imminent expiration of the concession term, something that we all knew and that was of a public nature ”.
In the wave of rejections, a statement from the MPN Convention, led by Jorge Sapag, in which it is stated that “such a decision is a measure of the highest institutional gravity that puts the constitutional order of the republic at risk and is an attack on the rights of the people of Neuquén.” In addition, he convened an urgent dialogue table.
