Senate committee to discuss nuclear energy Jun 15

The energy committee of Chile's senate plans to meet on June 15 to discuss the possibility of generating electricity from nuclear energy, according to the committee's schedule published on the senate's website. Chile's President Ricardo Lagos recently announced that his government would form a high-level commission to study the use of alternative energy sources including nuclear energy. Chile is seeking other generation sources as a means of reducing dependence on hydro generation and Argentine gas imports, which have been restricted as a result of that country's gas crisis. The senate's foreign relations committee plans to meet on June 14 to discuss the situation of Argentine gas imports, according to the senate's website. Chile does not have any nuclear power plants and most of its electricity currently comes from hydroelectric dams.