The center-right government of new Chilean President Sebastián Piñera is nearing its first major environmental decision: whether to approve HidroAysén, a controversial US$ 7 billion project to build five hydroelectric dams on two rivers in Chilean Patagonia. HidroAysén, sponsored jointly by two energy companies, Italian-owned Endesa and Chile’s Colbún, must submit a second addendum to its environmental impact before a final ruling can be made. The filing of the addendum, now due Oct. 29 after the government this month granted HidroAysén a four-month extension, will set the stage for that ruling, to be made by the Regional Environmental Commission of Aysén. The dams, planned for the Baker and Pascua rivers in southern Aysén, would have an installed capacity of 2,750 megawatts, or... [Log in to read more]