New wind law veto overturned

Argentina is to introduce a kilowatt hour subsidy for wind power. The Argentine Senate on November 11 overturned a veto imposed by President Carlos Menem on legislation which declares wind "of national interest" and grants it a production subsidy (Windpower Monthly, November 1998). The bill will thus become national law as soon as the necessary regulations are approved, reports Greenpeace International, one of the organisations that has lobbied for the law. Menem vetoed the bill in October -- most likely due to pressure from the Secretary of Energy -- despite political approval across the board in Congress. Meanwhile, Argentina's Energy Secretary Alfredo Mirkin resigned from his post, one week after the wind veto was overturned, reports news wire Reuters. Menem basked in the spotlight of the national news media last month when he announced that Argentina was prepared to voluntarily reduce its C02 emissions as part of the Kyoto protocol, the first developing country to do so. Wind energy will presumably help Argentina along the way towards its C02 reduction goal.