Joining Forces

This Thursday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be in Berkelely to sign an historic alternative energy agreement with the President-- the President of Chile, that is.

President Michelle Bachelet and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will sign a new agreement in Sacramento on June 12, "Chile California: A Partnership for the 21st Century." The agreement is meant to promote cooperation on innovation, higher education, and alternative energy. In President Bachelet's public address at UC Berkeley, she will discuss the current challenges Chile faces and what this new agreement means for her country.

According to Treehugger.com:

"Bachelet's official visit to Canada and the United States seeks to deepen the technological and energetic cooperation between her country and North America. After having met Canada's prime minister Stephen Harper, she's arriving in California to meet Schwarzenegger and to offer a conference at the Berkeley UC.

Alternative energy is a key issue for Chile, a country that imports three quarters of its power and that's facing energy shortage in its Northern area. According to the release, Chile is considering the installation of solar power plants in the Atacama desert, hence the interest in California."