At the southernmost tip of South America lies a land of stunning contrasts: the towering Andes rise sharply from the cold deep waters of the Pacific, creating a rugged expanse of coastal islands, dense rainforests and snow-capped glaciers. But plans to build dams on two of Patagonia's pristine rivers, the Baker and the Pascua, could lay waste to one of the world's last unspoiled regions and flood thousands of acres of wildlife habitat. In addition, a proposed transmission line needed to carry electricity from the dams would be one of the longest in the world, extending more than 1,400 miles and cutting through national parks, reserves and wildlife sanctuaries.

With help from our BioGem Defenders, NRDC is working with local and international partners to save Patagonia in what has become Chile's biggest environmental campaign. We supported a comprehensive review of energy alternatives, which indicated that Chile could meet much of its future energy needs from renewable sources and energy efficiency - without mega-dams. In 2008, environmental authorities ordered dam proponents to respond to overwhelming criticism from the public and government agencies on their 10,500-page environmental assessment. But the project hasn't been rejected outright, and the dam builders will be back. Now is the time to push even harder for sustainable energy in Chile.

Call on President Bachelet to pursue a clean energy future for Chile