Renewable energy attracts attentions by removing the harmful effects of fossil fuels and protecting the environment. The focus of this study is to investigate GDP per capita, carbon dioxide emissions per capita, technological innovation and trade as the determinants of renewable energy production for the selected Latin American countries during the 1991–2014 period. Technological innovation factor is rarely investigated as one of the determinants of renewable energy. The country group includes Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Guatemala. Empirical results are obtained by applying panel estimation methods. Cointegration relationship among the analyzed variables is confirmed by Pedroni and Westerlund panel cointegration tests. According to the empirical analysis, GDP per capita, technological innovation and trade have positive and statistically significant impact on renewable energy production per capita. On the other hand, it is found that carbon dioxide emissions and renewable energy production are negatively associated. In addition, the elasticity estimates with respect to technological innovation and trade are found as close to each other. The policy implications of the empirical findings are argued as well.

可再生能源通过消除化石燃料的有害影响和保护环境而引起人们的关注。这项研究的重点是调查人均GDP，人均二氧化碳排放量，技术创新和贸易，作为1991-2014年选定拉丁美洲国家可再生能源生产的决定因素。很少研究技术创新因素作为可再生能源的决定因素之一。该国家组包括阿根廷，巴西，墨西哥，哥伦比亚，智利和危地马拉。通过应用面板估计方法可以获得经验结果。佩德罗尼（Pedroni）和韦斯特隆德（Westerlund）面板协整检验证实了分析变量之间的协整关系。根据经验分析，人均GDP 技术创新和贸易对人均可再生能源生产产生积极的和统计学上显着的影响。另一方面，发现二氧化碳排放与可再生能源生产负相关。此外，发现关于技术创新和贸易的弹性估计彼此接近。还对经验发现的政策含义进行了论证。