First Youth Energy Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean:

“These events are the opportunity for youth to build their own organizations”: Constanza Levicán

Universidad de Chile hosted the preliminary event that opened Energy Week, welcoming over 200 students, researchers, and professionals, promoting innovation in energy, energy policies, and international collaboration.

“This opens doors to networking opportunities that are necessary for youth to build and strengthen their own organizations, NGOs, and startups”, with this acknowledgment of a milestone at the X Week Energy event, Constanza Levicán, CEO, and Founder of Suncast, marked her intervention at the First Youth Energy Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean, an event where over 200 young people around the world gathered at the event held by the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE), Chile’s Ministry of Energy, and Universidad de Chile. 

Also, Climatech Chile’s president took part in the “Innovation in Just Transitions: How Do We Build Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Energy Systems?” panel, along with industry experts; Dasla Pando, researcher at the Energy Center of Universidad de Chile and director of Enerdis; Esteban van Dam, cofounder and lead specialist at 500 RPM; and Williams Quiroga, university student, who highlighted: justice, collaboration, and youthful intuition as key factors in moving towards energy transition.

“It is important for energy transition spaces to include youth. Not only because they are the ones who will suffer the effects of the decisions we make today with more intensity, but because they are already proposing innovative proposals and solutions that must be recognized”, said Dasla Pando.

Meanwhile, Valentina Licanqueo, OLADE’s consultant, anticipated what is already being planned in favor of future generations:    “Our work with young people does not end here; next year we hope to host a second version of the Youth Energy Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean in the Dominican Republic during the XI Energy Week event”.

On the other hand, Paz Correa, Coordinator of the Energy Transition Academy of Latin America and The Caribbean, complemented: “At Uno Punto Cinco, we believe that the participation of youth must be transformed into concrete actions that boost a fair energy transition, based on a gender approach and regional collaboration”.

To conclude, Constanza Levicán took the opportunity to recall her time at university, highlighting that she was in the same place as them when she began to shape the idea of Suncast, the Chilean startup that today applies artificial intelligence to forecast renewable energy production and has over 5,000 MW in its service portfolio.

From an academic perspective, the approach left more than one message with a purpose. Nicolás Mayolafquén, a fourth-year student in Civil Electrical Engineering at Universidad de Chile, highlighted the impact of the event and emphasized: “Energy is present in everything. A fair energy transition does not imply that leaving no one behind or marginalized, policies on renewable energy must incorporate inclusive and gender perspectives, considering the voices of minorities too”.

Thus, this First Youth Energy Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean during the X Week Energy event provides a space for unprecedented intergenerational dialogue and opens the door for a future meeting in the Dominican Republic.