Energy demand in Colombia has grown by 4.5% in 2010 announced President Alvaro Uribe during a tour of the Porce III Hydroelectric Project in the department of Antioquia, reports El Espectador.
Uribe said that in the past “nobody wanted to build projects in Colombia because demand was not growing,” and said that the new growth is a sign that his government’s hard-line security policies had paid off.
“Democratic security is an essential prerequisite for recovering the rhythm of the Colombian economy, and energy consumption has grown,” Uribe said.
The president said that, other than a quiet period between 2008 and 2009, there had been high levels of growth in energy demand throughout his eight years in power, despite security concerns.
Uribe said the work done by Colombia’s armed forces had facilitated the construction of the Porce III dam and hydroelectric plant, which was developed by Empresas Publicas de Medellin (EPM) and is the largest project of its kind in 20 years.
“I want to pay tribute to the armed forces of Colombia … [who] have made it possible for this whole group of engineers, managers and workers to carry out this important work in the Porce River,” Uribe said.