Energy Integration and Chinese Investments in the Power Sector in Latin America

Dr. Francisco Urdinez

The Woodrow Wilson Center and the Political Science Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

Francisco Urdinez is a 2022-23 Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center and Associate Professor at the Political Science Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where he is affiliated with the Center of International Studies and the Center of Asian Studies. Dr. Urdinez has testified to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission of the American Congress on China-Latin American relations. He has been a Fellow of the Chilean Fund for Scientific and Technological Development. Dr. Urdinez received his Ph.D. joint-degree from the University of São Paulo and King's College London in the field of International Relations. He is specialized in China-Latin American relations and China’s economic statecraft. His research and CV be found at www.furdinez.com.

Dr. Laurence Delina

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Laurence Delina is an Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He teaches and researches rapid climate change mitigation by accelerating sustainable and just energy transitions. He is the sole author of more than thirty journal articles and four books on these topics, including Covid and Climate Emergencies in the Majority World (Cambridge University Press, 2022). Dr. Delina received his Ph.D. from the University of New South Wales Sydney.

Ms. Cecilia Aguillon

Institute of the Americas, La Jolla, CA

Cecilia Aguillon is the Director of the Energy Transition Initiative at the Institute of the Americas, an impartial and independent non-profit organization promoting dialogue and collaboration across the Western Hemisphere to foster sound public policies and to advance sustainable inclusive economic growth and prosperity. She enables public-private dialogues to develop sustainable renewable energy markets. She also develops renewable energy projects in low-income rural communities in Latin America. Ms. Aguillon worked at Kyocera Solar, Inc. in California on Business Development and Government Relations for 18 years. She worked with policy makers on designing solar energy programs and renewable portfolio standards for implementation across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Dr. Ricardo Raineri

Associated Universities, Inc., and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

Ricardo Raineri Bernain is a Senior Economic Advisor at Associated Universities, Inc., Professor at the Engineering School at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and President of Global Mining and Energy Partners LLC -GMAEP-. Economist with extensive professional and research experience in the energy sector and extractive industries span markets, policy, governance, and geopolitical issues. Mr. Raineri is Past-President of the International Association for Energy Economics. Former Chilean Energy Minister and Chairman of the Board of de Chilean State Oil Company (ENAP), former Alternative Executive Director of the World Bank Group, and in 2021 was Member of the High-level Dialogues Technical Working Group on Energy Transition, UN DESA. Dr. Raineri holds a bachelor’s in economics, a Business Engineer professional degree, and master’s in economics degrees from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and a Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Economics from the University of Minnesota.