Energy Transition in isolated rural indigenous communities: meanings around access to energy in El Sunchal (Salta-Argentina) from the PERMER electrification program

Abstract

Access to energy in isolated rural areas is presented as a challenge to be resolved by public organizations. This dimension, that of access, is considered part of the just energy transition. This work proposes to characterize and analyze the meanings that circulate and (re)produce from the implementation of the Renewable Energy Program in Rural Markets (PERMER) in the town of El Sunchal de la Quebrada de las Conchas (Salta, Argentina, 2023). The assumed epistemological postulates demanded addressing the object of study from a qualitative approach, focused on the micro perspective, connecting the elements within a global framework and addressing different aspects that allow an understanding of the case study. The design and implementation of the field work, as well as the systematization and analysis of the data, required a treatment that included cultural considerations. Some of the conclusions warn that the implementation of photovoltaic panels in the community is essential to provide access to energy. From there arises the need to manage techno-scientific projects that take up social, economic and cultural dimensions to have a broader approach to access to basic services in the area based on public policies.