Colombia's thermal generation sector has been burning significantly more fuel since mid-May, with XM data showing coal consumption at thermal plants rising 47.9% between January and May 2026 -- from 132.7 to 196.3 GBTUd -- and gas consumption rising 65.1%, from 122.2 to 201.7 GBTUd.
Read moreNencol 5, the 2,240 MWp gas-fired thermal plant awarded a firm energy obligation in the May 22 reliability charge auction, is nominally the most consequential single result of that process -- representing 55% of the 4,069.7 MWp of new capacity assigned and 4.5% of all firm energy committed. However, El Tiempo's investigation into the project and the man behind it raises serious doubts about whether any of that will materialize.
Read moreThe Consejo Gremial Nacional issued an urgent public appeal on May 29 to the government, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and CREG to act immediately on what it described as a real and imminent risk of both electricity and gas supply failure. Industry sources speaking anonymously to Portafolio were starker still: "we need a miracle to save ourselves from the blackout."
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With El Niño rapidly approaching, planners are naturally concerned with the expected drop off in hydrogeneration and what they can use to replace it. Traditionally, it would be thermogeneration but, if the “Illuminati” still run the show after August 7th, they will want to use solar. We update our solar-related charts with five full months of 2026 in the books.
Read moreSimón Gaviria, writing in El Heraldo, argues that Colombia's energy debate is stuck in the wrong century.
Read moreThe Petro administration issued Decree 0526 on May 21, amending Decree 1073 of 2015 and fundamentally broadening the mandate of the Fondo de Energía Social (FOES) -- the fund that has historically financed electricity bill discounts for stratum 1 and 2 households.
Read moreColombia's 23 monitored hydroelectric reservoirs closed May at 66.38% of capacity -- a 2.35 percentage-point improvement over April's 64.03% but still well short of the 80% analysts consider the minimum safe level for withstanding a prolonged dry period.
Read morePromigas closed the acquisition of 100% of Zelestra Latam on May 28, adding a three-country renewable energy platform to its historically gas-focused portfolio and entering Chile as a new market for the first time.
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The expected candidates made it through to the second round and official government candidate Iván Cepeda got the approximately 40% of the vote that the polls said he would. But Abelardo de la Espriella surprised by getting over 43% and coming first.
Read moreThe Petro administration declared the May 22 reliability charge auction a resounding success, claiming it exceeded projected demand by 8%. Industry analysts, the power generators industry association Andeg, and the auction's most controversial winner all spent the following week telling a different story.
Read moreAlejandro Castañeda, president of the power generators industry association Andeg, declared on May 27 that Colombia faces a high probability of a blackout in March and April of next year, the product of three simultaneous failures: an undersized reliability charge auction, the financial collapse of Caribbean distributor Air-e, and the approaching El Niño phenomenon.
Read moreColombia's National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA) issued a public clarification on May 28 pushing back against media reports that implied the Hidroituango hydroelectric project required new regulatory approvals to raise its reservoir to 420 meters above sea level.
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