Vulnerable Communities

and Wind Energy in Latin

America and Africa
Sergio Oceransky
The Yansa Group

Contents
Wind energy and indigenous rights in
Mexico and Kenya
Yansas community wind model
Ixtepec wind farm project
Community wind in the context of tenders
Sustainable transition campaign initiative

Wind power and indigenous peoples in Mexico

State of Yucatn
Indigenous region with
high concentration of
wind power projects
due to cost of energy

Isthmus of Tehuantepec
Indigenous region with high concentration of
wind power projects due to world-class wind resource

Wind power and indigenous peoples in Kenya

Example: Lake Turkana
Wind Power project

 Largest wind power project in Sub-Saharan

Africa (310 MW).
150,000 acres of indigenous land illegally
leased to project consortium for 99 years.
No compensation to affected communities
Minimal lease payments to county
government
Denial of indigenous rights
On-going court case
Violence against dissenting communities

Yansa Group: Renewable Energy as

Community Resource
Created in May 2008 to support the participation of
indigenous and other vulnerable communities in the
transition to renewable energy.
Yansa Foundation (501c3, US-based):
Supports community rights.
Community engagement, governance and
participation.
Yansa Community Interest Company (UK-based):
Community-based project planning &
implementation.

Yansas activities
Supporting communities rights and land through:
Litigation
Institutions (UN Special Rapporteur, IACHR)
Grievance / accountability @ multilateral banks / IFIs

Utility-scale community RE projects:

Main pilot: community wind farm in Ixtepec

Engagement with institutions:

Inclusion of indigenous rights and Social Impact
Evaluation in new Mexican energy legislation
Facilitating community engagement in development plans
that affect their land

Ixtepec Community Wind Farm

Community decision in 2008 as part of participatory
territorial planning process.
Project structured through Community Interest
Company Limited by Guarantee.
Proposal for 102 MW wind farm ready in 2012.
Mexican utility CFE blocked access to the grid.
Community sued the utility in late 2012, demanding
a fair opportunity to realize project.
Private megaprojects in the region stopped due to
legal action by communities.
Community model can break the deadlock, but
utility and government are unwilling to negotiate.

Mexican Auctions Exclude Communities

Large investments and guarantees required to
qualify for auctions, in context of high uncertainty.
Costly non-refundable grid access studies only
deliver initial estimations of access costs and
(normally very long) waiting times.
Bilateral PPAs are also high-risk: transmission
rights have to be bought in advance; excess
capacity needs to be bought or sold in volatile
spot market.
Despite rhetoric of level playing field and open
market access, only large players can participate
in the market.

Sustainable transition campaign initiative

Initiative led by civil society and community
organizations. Goals:
Raise awareness of potential negative externalities in the
energy transition
Proposing and facilitating constructive alternatives
Providing support to vulnerable communities
Advocating for regulatory change in key jurisdictions

Focus on social and environmental externalities in

project development and supply chain / lifecycle.
Interested? Please email me at sergio@yansa.org

Thank you!