For a country like Chile, where large hydroelectric projects have been politically controversial, and where solar and wind power have been too slow in coming, gas imports from the US would be a tremendous boon. In 2013, the US Department of Energy authorized the first substantial gas-export facilities; while the trickle is not yet a steady flow, the gap between US and much-higher world prices implies tremendous potential benefits.
对于像智利这样的国家，大型水电项目总是引起颇多政治争议，太阳能电和风电增长又太慢，来自美国的天然气进口将成为有力的助推器。2013年，美国能源部批准了第一批大规模天然气出口设施；尽管这一气源并未形成稳定的天然气流，但美国和全球气价之间的差异意味着它潜力无限。