Editing Economy of Bolivia (section)

===Energy===
Bolivia's energy needs are relatively small but growing consistently.<ref name="loc" /> Bolivia uses oil for the majority of its power needs, followed by natural gas<ref name="loc" /> and hydroelectric power.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

====Oil====
Bolivia has estimated oil reserves of {{convert|441|Moilbbl|m3}}, the fifth largest in South America.<ref name="loc" /> The fields are located in the east and south. The main activities in the refineries is crude oil fractioning, catalytic conversion for high octane gasoline, and refining of heavy fractions to produce lubricants. The final products are vehicle gasoline, liquid [[propane]] and [[butane]], jet fuel, [[diesel fuel|diesel]] oil and lubricants for use in industrial machinery. As domestic oil production is insufficient to meet domestic demand Bolivia is a net importer of oil.<ref name="cia">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/bolivia/ |title=CIA World Fact Book|date=26 July 2022 }}</ref>

Until recently the country's oil industry was fully controlled by the state company [[YPFB]], established in 1936 with the mission to develop, refine and distribute oil resources. After [[privatization]] efforts in the 1990s the transport of natural gas and oil was in private hands during the 1990s while the production and refining of materials was part of risk-sharing contracts between the government and private investors. In 1999 the refineries were also completely privatized. In May 2006 president [[Evo Morales]] re-nationalized reserves, while its exploitation remained in private hands.
[[File:Petrobrasbolivia2006.jpg|thumb|Oil refinery plant in [[Cochabamba]] belonging to Brazilian state-owned company [[Petrobras]].]]

====Natural gas====
{{main | Natural gas in Bolivia }}
The country's natural gas reserves total {{convert|27.6|Tcuft|km3}} according to Bolivian government figures, ranking Bolivia behind only [[Venezuela]] in terms of proven natural gas reserves in South America.<ref name="loc" /> Additionally, Bolivia is self-sufficient in its energy production.<ref name="loc" /> The sector changed significantly when the government allowed [[privatization]] in the mid-1990s.<ref name="loc" /> International companies quickly invested in Bolivian energy sources, particularly in natural gas, and made Bolivia into a player in the world [[energy market]].<ref name="loc" /> The exportation of Bolivian energy resources, while potentially lucrative economically, has been politically hazardous.<ref name="loc" /> President [[Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada]] ultimately resigned over his plan to export natural gas to the United States and Mexico in 2003.<ref name="loc" />

On 6 June 2005, former president [[Carlos Mesa]] offered his resignation to the Bolivian Congress after [[Bolivian Gas Conflict|months of demonstrations]] by Bolivia's indigenous population calling for renationalizing the [[Natural gas in Bolivia|natural gas]] and oil sectors.<ref name="loc" /> Mesa had increased taxation on foreign companies while still encouraging their investment in Bolivian energy development.<ref name="loc" /> On 1 May 2006, his successor, former president Morales, signed a decree stating that all natural gas reserves were to be nationalized, recovering ownership, possession and control of hydrocarbons. US Exxon Mobil Corporation, Petrobras, Spain's Repsol YPF, UK gas and oil producer BG Group Plc, and France's Total are the main gas companies present in the country.

Bolivia's natural gas exports bring in millions of dollars per day, in royalties, rents and taxes.<ref name="Gustafson 2020 10" /> From 2007 to 2017, what is referred to as the "government take" on gas totaled approximately $22 billion.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gustafson |first=Bret |title=Bolivia in the Age of Gas |date=18 September 2020 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-1-4780-1099-9 |pages=10}}</ref>

====Electricity====
{{main | Electricity sector in Bolivia}}
Until 1994 the electricity sector was dominated by the vertically integrated public utility [[ENDE]] (''Empresa Nacional de Electricidad''). In 1994 the electricity sector was privatized and was unbundled into [[electricity generation|generation]], [[electricity transmission|transmission]] and [[electricity distribution|distribution]]. The law aimed to increase efficiency in the sector, promote competition and encourage investment.<ref name="UDAPE">{{cite web |url=http://www.udape.gov.bo/diagnosticos/documentos/Documento%20Sector%20Eléctrico.pdf |title=Sector Eléctrico |publisher=UNDAPE }} {{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The supply is dominated by thermal generation (60%), while hydropower (40%) has a smaller share in its generation mix compared to other South American countries ([[Latin America and the Caribbean]], or LAC, average hydropower capacity is 51%).<ref name="EIAStatistics">{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/electricitycapacity.html|title=International |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)}}</ref> The electricity coverage in rural areas is with 30%<ref name="Viceministry">{{cite web|url=http://www.crecerconenergia.net/sem2006eng/pdfs/sesion_1/Jerges%20Mercado.pdf|title=Crecercon Energia|access-date=11 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208111431/http://www.crecerconenergia.net/sem2006eng/pdfs/sesion_1/Jerges%20Mercado.pdf|archive-date=8 February 2012}}</ref> among the lowest in Latin America and improving it represents a major challenge in the future and requires the joint efforts from both the public and private sectors. Like in other countries, Bolivia's electricity sector consists of a National Interconnected System (SIN) and off-grid systems (known as the ''Aislado'').