Open Access
Energy as an indicator of modernization in Latin America, 1890-1925
(Wiley, 2010) Rubio Varas, María del Mar; Yáñez, César; Folchi, Mauricio; Carreras, Albert; Economía; Ekonomia
In the absence of comparable macroeconomic indicators for most of the Latin American economies before the 1930s, the apparent consumption of energy is used in this paper as a proxy of the degree of modernization of Latin America and the Caribbean. This paper presents an estimate of the apparent consumption per head of modern energies (coal, petroleum, and hydroelectricity) for 30 countries of the region, 1890 to 1925. As a result, it provides the basis for a quantitative comparative analysis of modernization performance beyond the few countries for which historical national accounts are available in Latin America.
Open Access
Will small energy consumers be faster in transition? Evidence from the early shift from coal to oil in Latin America
(Elsevier, 2012) Rubio Varas, María del Mar; Folchi, Mauricio; Economía; Ekonomia
This paper provide evidence of the early transition from coal to oil for 20 Latin American countries over the first half of the 20th century, which does not fit the transition experiences of large energy consumers. These small energy consumers had earlier and faster transitions than leading nations. We also provide evidence for alternative sequences (inverse, revertible) in the transition from coal to oil. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ‘leapfrogging’ allowed a set of follower economies to reach the next rung of the energy ladder (oil domination) 30 years in advance of the most developed economies. We examine these follower economies, where transition took place earlier and faster than the cases historically known, in order to understand variation within the energy transitions and to expand the array of feasible pathways of future energy transitions. We find that being a small energy consumer makes a difference for the way the energy transition takes place; but also path dependence (including trade and technological partnerships), domestic energy endowment (which dictates relative prices) and policy decisions seem to be the variables that shaped past energy transitions.
Open Access
Machines and energy. Energy capital ratios in Europe and Latin America 1875 - 1970'
(Taylor & Francis, 2018) Ducoing Ruiz, Cristián; Gales, Ben; Hölsgens, Rick; Rubio Varas, María del Mar; Ekonomia; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Economía
The relationship between energy and capital is one of the most important aspects of modern economic growth. Machines need energy to produce all the goods we enjoy; energy would be far less useful for humankind in absence of machines. However, the great majority of the economic models do not take into account the elasticities of substitution (or complementaries) between these two main variables. Actually, energy is absent in many growth models and discussions on diverging economic development paths. We approach this relevant issue from a new perspective: energy and capital relations during 100 years. We use the latest estimations of capital stock (machinery and equipment) and energy consumption for Latin America and compare them with those of Western Europe. The energy–capital ratio (how much energy is used per unit of capital) could be a predictor of economic growth, thus providing stylised facts about the timing and causes of the different modernisation patterns of these regions and showing us some answers on the long-run relationship between energy consumption and capital accumulation.
Embargo
The First World War and the Latin American transition from coal to petroleum
(Elsevier, 2019) Rubio Varas, María del Mar; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
While it is true that the precise nature of the future energy transition is uncertain, and no standardized transition is expected as such, it is also true that the energy transition phenomenon can only be described as an historical phenomenon. The Latin American early adoption of petroleum as principal energy source during the first quarter of the 20th century challenged the universality of the energy transition observed for the advanced economies and the associated features regarding pace, irreversibility and the sequence within the energy transition. This paper deepens on the analysis of this episode marked by the disruptions created by First World War to show how economic, geographical and political aspects defined the shape and pace of the early switch to oil of the Latin American republics. The aim is to develop a more nuanced understanding of socio-spatial contexts, scale, and the global-local relationships that constitute core elements of socio-technical systems.

Rubio Varas, María del Mar

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