Across various international forums, numerous discussions are emerging about shifting energy priorities and how they have changed in recent years.
In most of these conversations, energy security is identified as the top priority—far above other considerations—and closely aligned with national security. In the current global context, which the Prime Minister of Canada has described as “the end of a pleasant fiction and the beginning of a brutal reality,” countries must ensure autonomous food production, energy production, and security.
To illustrate this context, analysts often point to Europe’s dependence on Russian gas and the trend of phasing out nuclear development in favor of other renewable energy sources—mostly solar, which relies heavily on China—as a strategic mistake. These decisions, they argue, have left the continent in a weakened position regarding its energy security.
The underlying question is whether it is possible to achieve energy security while also advancing a sustainable and just transition. The answer is neither simple nor universal. In Argentina, for example, the push to increase gas and oil production in Vaca Muerta is a policy aimed not only at ensuring domestic supply but also at opening opportunities to export lower‑carbon‑intensity fossil fuels, such as the LNG projects currently under development.
At the same time, different regions of the country present unique opportunities, where energy supply can be supported by highly abundant natural resources. Examples include Patagonia’s strong winds or the high annual solar radiation in the Cuyo region. Other regions possess high‑value anthropogenic resources for energy generation, such as organic waste from agricultural and livestock activities or municipal solid waste from cities.
The possibility of producing biomethane from manure and residual biomass is a viable alternative for generating gas for freight transport, decarbonizing various industrial sectors, and supplying communities that are not connected to the main gas pipeline network. Prices differ significantly from conventional natural gas, but the sustainability attributes of biomethane are highly valued across multiple segments of the productive value chain—along with co‑benefits such as biofertilizer production and waste management, which otherwise represent significant costs.
Ultimately, each region has its own solution, and technological innovation continues to provide proven opportunities to use waste as an energy source. These solutions contribute to energy security and support local development, creating opportunities for residents in each province and reducing migration driven by the search for employment.
Adaptation requires a realistic understanding of the context in order to build solutions that are specific, locally grounded, and focused on improving the population’s quality of life.