Roundup: Investment fast-track resolution, smart meters, supply call

Peru's economy and finance ministry published a resolution in the official gazette to fast-track the drafting and evaluation of public investment projects that fall under emergency decree 049-2011 published August 21 to guarantee power supply in the short term in the national grid. Programming and investment authorities from the energy and mines sector and state business financing fund Fonafe, along with the ministry's investment policy department, have five working days from Monday (Aug 29) to meet and establish a timetable to draft and evaluate projects. *** The board of the US Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) approved a move toward automatic meter infrastructure. The executive director is authorized to negotiate a secured loan agreement with the US Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Services to finance automated meter infrastructure to the amount of US$13.2mn, WAPA said in a statement. The project will also help customers to become more energy efficient as they will have the ability to monitor real-time energy consumption and make adjustments as needed, added the utility. *** And Panama's state transmission company Etesa extended to September 29 from September 15 the deadline to submit bids for call number 04-11 to supply capacity between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014 to distributors Elektra Noreste, Edemet and Edechi. An information meeting is scheduled for September 6.