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Orchestrating Regionalism: The Interamerican Development Bank and the Central American Electric System

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  • Stefano Palestini

Abstract

Why have Central American states been able to deliver public goods in the energy sector when most experiences of energy regionalism in Latin American have run into deadlock? Through process‐tracing the different factors that transformed the Central American Electric System (SIEPAC) from a policy‐idea into a fully operative supranational market, this article finds that the Interamerican Development Bank was the orchestrator of governments, national utilities, and extra‐regional state and market actors resulting in the production of energy infrastructure and improved energy security for Central American countries. Through three mechanisms—brokering, agenda‐setting, and assistance—the Interamerican Development Bank kept the cooperation agenda ongoing despite coordination problems and member states' divergent preferences. The article concludes that regional development banks are particularly well‐suited orchestrators of highly technical regionalism initiatives, such as energy integration, because they combine the input‐legitimacy of an intergovernmental organization, the know‐how of an epistemic community, and the resources of a bank. More research is needed to compare the role of various regional development banks in regionalism initiatives in the global South. 为何中美洲国家已经能提供能源部门的公共物品,而绝大多数拉美国家的能源区域主义经历却陷入僵局?通过对将中美洲电力系统(SIEPAC)从一个政策想法转变为一个全面运作的超国家市场的不同因素进行过程追踪,本文发现,美洲开发银行是政府、国家公用事业、以及域外国家和市场行动者的策划者,促成能源基础设施的生产和中美洲国家能源安全的提升。通过三个机制—协商、设置议程、协助—美洲开发银行保持了合作议程的进行,尽管存在协调问题和成员国的不同偏好。本文结论认为,区域开发银行尤其适合策划高技术性区域倡议,例如能源一体化,因为这些倡议结合了政府间组织的输入‐合法性、知识社群的专业技术、以及银行资源。需要进行更多的研究以比较南方国家不同区域开发银行在区域主义倡议中发挥的作用。 ¿Por qué los Estados centroamericanos han conseguido producir bienes públicos en el sector energético cuando la mayoría de las experiencias de regionalismo energético en América Latina han fracasado? A través de un análisis de process tracing de los factores que transformaron al Sistema de Interconexión Eléctrica de los Países de América Central (SIEPAC) de ser una idea a convertirse en un mercado supranacional completamente operativo, este artículo muestra la importancia del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo en cuanto orquestador de gobiernos, empresas de electricidad nacionales, así como de actores estatales y no estatales externos. Dicha orquestación permitió la producción de infraestructura energética y cierta mejora de la seguridad energética de la región. A través de tres mecanismos – articulación, preparación de agenda, y asistencia técnica y financiera ‐, el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo mantuvo la agenda de cooperación marchando no obstante los problemas de coordinación y las preferencias divergentes de los Estados miembros. El artículo concluye que los bancos regionales de desarrollo están particularmente bien preparados para actuar como orquestadores de iniciativas de gobernanza regional altamente técnicas, tales como la integración energética regional. Esto debido a que combinan la legitimidad política de una organización intergubernamental, el conocimiento experto de una comunidad epistémica, y los recursos financieros de un banco. La investigación futura deberá compara el rol de los bancos regionales de desarrollo en otras iniciativas de gobernanza regional en el sur global.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefano Palestini, 2024. "Orchestrating Regionalism: The Interamerican Development Bank and the Central American Electric System," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 41(2), pages 329-346, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:revpol:v:41:y:2024:i:2:p:329-346
    DOI: 10.1111/ropr.12389
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kathleen J. Hancock, 2024. "Introduction to the Special Issue on energy regionalism," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 41(2), pages 282-289, March.

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