Paper short abstract:

This paper will build a genealogy of the creation of a wind farm in an indigenous community in Chiloé Island in Chile. Based on the contributions of STS literature but with the objective of enhancing the comprehension of the classic controversial analysis by introduction of the experiment concept.

Paper long abstract:

Over the last decade, wind power projects have multiplied in Chiloé Island. These projects are presented as capable of satisfying, to some extent, the demands which accompany national development in relation to energy supply, and contribute to the creation of a more sustainable energy system. Parallel to the increase of these projects, there also other proposals that seem to challenge the current energy development for Chiloé.

Among these is the emblematic case of a large wind farm project that is promoted by Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and some indigenous community leaders. The IDB proposal is to create a company that was named tentatively as "Society of Indigenous Energy Chiloé" to represent the interests of the communities involved.

Based on the contributions of STS literature, with the objective of expanding the comprehension of the classic controversial analysis, stressing the incommensurability of the views and assuming an ethical attitude that would allow the ralentization of thinking in order to prevent the risk of a rather early understanding, this paper will explore the narratives of energy development, developing questions such as:

Is there more than one single narrative of energy development in this case? Which narratives of development are configured and maybe are entangled? Which are the 'biopolitically produced metaphors' that are used? Up to what point can we consider this case to be an experiment? What kind of ethics accompanies those processes? Which are the uncertainties regarding ethical and ecological forms of the future?