On Thursday, July 17, the province of Buenos Aires will open the doors of its first Renewable Energy Center, located at the Technological Campus of the Commission of Scientific Research (CIC) in La Plata.
The project involves an investment of $2.4 billion and is financed through the “Tariff Aggregation” mechanism, a component of the electricity rate that allows funds to be allocated to network infrastructure and green energy generation.
The new building will serve as a reference center for research and development of technologies associated with:
- Solar photovoltaic self-generation
- Solar pumping and heating
- Rainwater harvesting
- Bioclimatic ventilation and lighting
Sustainable architecture and scientific design
The design was developed by the team of the Institute of Research and Policies of the Built Environment (IIPAC, CONICET–UNLP), led by researcher Gustavo San Juan, and is complemented by an already installed solar park on the premises.
As detailed by the Buenos Aires government, the building will not only be educational, but also a laboratory for testing, prototypes, and technological development, where areas such as electromobility, energy efficiency, and decentralized use of renewable sources will converge.
Provincial coordination and legal framework of the new Renewable Energy Center
The project is promoted by:
- The Provincial Energy Subsecretariat
- The Regional Electric Forum (FREBA)
- The Provincial Program PROINGED, aimed at promoting distributed generation
The initiative is framed within Provincial Law No. 14,838, which promotes the promotion of renewable energies in the Buenos Aires territory. The institutional agreement was signed with the CIC, under the Ministry of Production, Science, and Technological Innovation.
Political discourse and strategic approach
During the groundbreaking ceremony, the Energy Subsecretary, Gastón Ghioni, emphasized:
“This project is the opposite of the national government’s plans regarding science, energy policy, and investment. From the Province, we decided to uphold the convictions that the people of Buenos Aires endorsed for four more years.”
In the same vein, the president of the CIC, Roberto Salvarezza, highlighted:
“Faced with a government that denies climate change and defunds science, we respond with infrastructure that values technology and knowledge.”
Moreover, the Director of the University Coordination Council, Alejandro Villar, emphasized that this is the first project of the Campus in decades, directly linked to “science, innovation, and one of the central themes of our contemporary life: energy.”
The Subsecretary of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Federico Agüero, added that the Province continues to bet on science as a driver of development, ensuring that these technologies reach all social and productive sectors.
