CALAMA, Chile— Ernst & Young estimates that mines in South America will invest upwards of US $ 1bn in renewable energy projects by 2015 , a huge rise from 2013 figures of $ 37mn . In Chile , the Codelco Gabriela Mistral mine is currently powered by 500 solar panels , which is 80 % of its total energy usage , having benefited from using 67,000 barrels of diesel per year to generate all of its power previously .
Ernst & Young estimates that mines in South America will invest upwards of US $ 1bn in renewable energy projects by 2015 , a huge rise from 2013 figures of $ 37mn . In Chile , the Codelco Gabriela Mistral mine is currently powered by 500 solar panels , which is 80 % of its total energy usage , having benefited from using 67,000 barrels of diesel per year to generate all of its power previously .