Social Inclusion in Energy Regulation of Honduras: A necessary analysis

Abstract

Social inclusion in energy regulation is a key issue in Honduras, due to the existence of various social, economic, and cultural factors that should be included in any energy project. Honduras is home to several ethnic communities, a young population that is on the rise, an unequal society with a wide gender gap, poor access to opportunities for people with some type of disability, and where both extremes of economic groups converge, those with a high purchasing power as well as those in poverty and extreme poverty. In addition to these, the Honduran population has witnessed many social conflicts such as the coup d'etat in 2009.Honduras is rich in renewable resources for power generation. Thus, the study of the interaction among the supply/demand and social inclusion in energy regulation in Honduras is a very important issue given the growth of energy demand due to the economic development as well as the growth of population.In this work, an overview of the current situation of social inclusion in energy regulation in Honduras is shown. By considering the legislation related to the energy market, the service as a public good of National Security, oil exploration, supply, and demand of electricity as well as the production of biofuels. Finally, some measures to existing legislation and public policies which consider social inclusion in energy regulation in Honduras are proposed.