Towards energy justice in Argentina: Learning from inclusion experiences

Abstract

In Argentina, despite the extension of electricity and natural gas networks, a por‑ tion of its population and territories still lack access to adequate energy services. 700,000 inhabitants use firewood for cooking (1.5% of total population), according to data from the 2022 national census (INDEC, 2022).1 These situations are considered energy poverty (Ise et al., 2020; Ayroles, 2019; Ayroles and Forget, 2022). Lack of access to energy networks is not a trustworthy indicator of poverty. There are satisfactory services in places without networks and regions with energy deficits despite the existence of energy infrastructure (Jacinto et al., 2019). The differences in energy availability are linked to spatial disparities. Urban areas experienced faster improvements in the expansion of energy networks, while rural and isolated regions often faced accessibility and cost challenges in expanding the services (Haesbaert, 1995; Clementi et al., 2014). However, people with inadequate connections to the networks and/or who are unable to meet their energy needs are also found in urban settings, as a result of low economic resources, inappropriate spatial expansion, lack of service provision planning and infrastructure deficits. Many people struggle to pay energy bills and seek, therefore, informal and unsafe alternatives (Techo, 2016). Others, located in some provinces of the country, pay considerably larger bills for energy services than inhabitants of the capital city, Buenos Aires. Examples of these situations will be explored in the following sections of the chapter...