Archives

  • Bottlenecks slow energy expansion

    Colombia’s efforts to expand its electricity supply are being hampered by mounting bottlenecks in transmission infrastructure, regulation, and social licensing, raising concerns over the country’s ability to meet rapidly growing demand.

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  • Celsia plans expansion

    Celsia, the energy company of Grupo Argos, unveiled its 2025 Investor Day strategy in Medellín with an ambitious target: doubling its fundamental value by 2030. The company outlined a roadmap centered on renewable generation, asset management growth, and regional expansion.

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  • Gas transport review

    Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinEnergia) will launch a regulatory review aimed at cutting gas transportation costs by up to 50% on routes such as Bogotá–Cartagena, Minister Edwin Palma announced during a visit to Cesar.

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  • EPM invests billions

    Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) announced that it has invested more than CoP$600B in 2025 to modernize, expand, and build new aqueduct and sewage infrastructure across Antioquia.

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  • Battery storage essential

    Colombia is steadily expanding its solar and wind energy projects, with the Caribbean emerging as a natural hub thanks to its strong winds and high solar radiation. The region has the potential not only to supply the country’s energy demand but also to generate surplus for export.

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  • Auction seen crucial

    Colombia’s energy sector is sounding alarms over the risk of shortages and rationing from 2026 unless new capacity is urgently added. With demand steadily climbing and projects entering service far below expectations, industry leaders argue that the new expansion auction announced by the Energy and Gas Regulatory Commission (CREG) will be pivotal.

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  • ABB showcases solutions

    At the XXII Colombian Oil, Gas, and Energy Congress, technology company ABB presented a portfolio of innovations aimed at supporting Colombia’s energy transition.

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  • The Minister gets ahead of himself, a bit, maybe

    With so much bad news coming out of the Petro government and elections looming, ministers are no doubt encouraged to come out with “good news” press releases. MinEnergia Edwin Palma announced “The country achieved 13.7% in clean energy”, referencing September 2025. We couldn’t reproduce that number. But the real story is not a bad one either.

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  • Panama link stalled

    The long-awaited electricity interconnection between Colombia and Panama, a 500-kilometer, 400-megawatt high-voltage line, remains stuck in planning, with experts warning that Colombia’s own energy deficit has become the main obstacle to progress.

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  • Colombians back renewables

    The latest Pulso Eléctrico 2025 survey, conducted by Arteaga Latam, has confirmed overwhelming public support for renewable energy in Colombia, with solar and wind emerging as the clear favorites for expansion.

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  • Gecelca plan questioned

    The government’s proposal to make Gecelca the electricity operator for Atlántico, Magdalena, and La Guajira following the liquidation of Air-e has sparked strong criticism from business leaders and energy experts.

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  • Renting Colombia drives transition

    At the International Summit on Sustainability and Environmental Innovation in Bogotá, Renting Colombia showcased its progress and challenges in advancing energy transition across Latin America’s mobility sector.

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  • Energy price surge

    Colombia’s wholesale energy price jumped sharply in August 2025, though it remains well below last year’s record highs, according to new data from XM.

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  • Carbon tax clash

    At the 19th Environmental Seminar, the National Association of Public Services Companies (Andesco) issued a stark warning: recent fiscal and regulatory shifts, particularly changes to the carbon tax, could jeopardize Colombia’s progress on sustainability, energy transition, and natural resource protection.

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  • Terpel buys Solar

    Terpel has officially taken control of Parque Solar Planeta Rica, becoming the parent company of the 26.6-megawatt solar plant after receiving regulatory approval for the acquisition.

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  • Gas bills rising

    Colombia’s growing reliance on imported natural gas could hit consumers hard, with household bills projected to increase by as much as 44% in the coming years, according to new data.

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  • Solar boost program

    Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinEnergia) released guidelines for the implementation of Colombia Solar, a program aimed at helping small businesses in the popular economy adopt clean energy solutions.

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  • Battery storage regulation

    Colombia’s government has unveiled a draft regulation that could reshape the country’s energy tariffs by formally integrating battery storage systems into the national electricity market.

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  • Gas rationing looms

    Colombia’s government has moved to secure electricity supply in the Caribbean during October maintenance at the Cartagena regasification plant, yet the decision could trigger an “imminent” rationing of natural gas for industry.

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  • Safer solar tools

    Colombia’s energy sector is embracing tools that not only cut project timelines but also protect workers from injury, according to the latest Annual Safety and Health Report for the industry. The study showed that 40% of workplace injuries are musculoskeletal disorders, underscoring the need for ergonomic and safer practices in the field.

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  • Energy poverty challenge

    Colombia’s latest Natural Gas Sector Report 2025 highlights a persistent problem undermining the country’s energy transition: widespread energy poverty.

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  • Colombia-Panama connection

    Colombia’s government confirmed progress on the long-discussed electricity interconnection with Panama, a project it says will strengthen energy security while facilitating the export of clean power. The announcement came during a session of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament.

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  • Caribbean energy peril

    Once again, the Colombian Caribbean faces the threat of gas shortages and possible energy rationing.

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  • Celsia share buyback

    Celsia, the energy subsidiary of Grupo Argos, confirmed the next steps in its ambitious share repurchase program on the Colombian Stock Exchange (BVC).

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    • Energy
    • Sep 24, 2025 10:10 PM

    Energy system at risk

    Colombia’s electricity system could reach a critical point as early as 2026 due to insufficient new generation capacity, industry leaders warn. Despite ambitious targets, less than 20% of planned projects since 2020 have entered operation, leaving the grid vulnerable amid rising demand.

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  • Court upholds tariff law

    Colombia’s Constitutional Court has upheld the validity of a controversial regulation governing electricity service in the Caribbean region, while setting strict limits on its application.

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  • Industrial energy burden

    The Colombian Association of Large Industrial and Commercial Energy Consumers (Asoenergía) warned against the government’s plan to impose a 20% contribution on industrial energy users, excluding manufacturers.

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  • An intense analisis

    Colombia’s statistical institute, DANE, updated its GDP estimates for the second quarter and so we updated our estimates of energy intensity and income elasticity. We also updated our forecasts to discuss the issue of blackouts in 2026.

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  • Bezos backs renewables

    The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), a renewables-focused initiative supported by Jeff Bezos’ Earth Fund, plans to channel US$7.5B into clean energy projects across developing countries over the next five years.

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  • Renewables with limits

    Renewable energy continues to transform Colombia’s electricity mix, and SunCompany is betting on projects that help bridge the country’s deep social gaps.

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  • Termoyopal becomes Altia

    After more than two decades of operating in Casanare as a natural gas thermal power plant, Termoyopal is transforming into Altia Energy, a regional multi-energy platform with ambitions to expand across Latin America.

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  • Government denies shortages

    Amid growing concerns over possible energy rationing in Colombia’s Caribbean region, the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinEnergia) insisted that supply will be guaranteed during the scheduled maintenance of the SPEC LNG regasification plant in Cartagena this October.

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  • Blocked hydropower maintenance

    Since August 1, a group of farmers in Ubalá, Cundinamarca, has blocked the road connecting the town with Gachalá, preventing Enel Colombia from moving equipment needed for critical maintenance at the El Guavio hydroelectric plant.

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  • Green energy boost

    Colombia took another step toward diversifying its energy mix after the National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA) granted approvals for two strategic projects: the AES Solar 3 solar park in Tolima and the Huila 230 kV substation with its associated transmission lines.

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  • Royalties for relief

    The chronic electricity crisis in Colombia’s Caribbean region remains one of the sector’s most pressing challenges, with utility companies Air-e and Afinia struggling under rising debts, poor collections, and stalled investment.

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  • Air-e admits crisis

    Air-e, the utility responsible for electricity distribution in Atlántico, Magdalena, and La Guajira, is facing a financial meltdown that has frozen all investment in infrastructure. The company’s state-appointed overseer, Nelson Vásquez, laid out the grim picture before the Senate’s Fifth Commission this week.

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  • Solar capital surge

    Colombia’s largest planned solar project, Parque Solar Puerta de Oro, is set to receive a significant boost in financing.

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  • Solar-powered taxes

    The National Directorate of Taxes and Customs (DIAN) has taken a historic step toward sustainability by installing solar plants at its offices in Cartagena.

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  • Guayepo III solar park

    With construction progress over 76%, Enel Green Power, the renewable energy arm of Enel Colombia, began delivering electricity from its Guayepo III solar park to the National Interconnected System (SIN).

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  • Energy as a journey

    At the Oil, Gas and Energy Forum held in Barrancabermeja, organized by Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC) and the USO, the central theme was once again the country’s energy transition and the push for decarbonization. The consensus among panelists seemed clear: Colombia must accelerate its shift toward renewable energy.

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  • Coexistence rule updated

    Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinEnergia) issued Resolution 40358 of August 20, 2025, setting new guidelines for the coexistence of hydrocarbon, mining, and energy projects when partial or total overlap of areas occurs.

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  • Colombia updates regulation

    Colombia’s Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME) issued Resolution 000749 of September 3, 2025, introducing a new framework for registering generation, cogeneration, self-generation, remote self-generation, and distributed generation projects in the National Interconnected System (SIN).

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  • Community energy project in Las Gardenias

    The city of Barranquilla has begun construction of its first community energy project in the Las Gardenias neighborhood, with an investment of more than CoP$6.0B.

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  • Norwegian solar investment

    Scatec ASA, the Norwegian renewable energy firm, announced a US$110M investment in Colombia with the construction of a 130 MW solar plant in Nariño, about 100 kilometers west of Bogotá.

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  • Ecuador exports power

    Ecuador resumed electricity exports to Colombia, sending 350 megawatts (MW) across the border after completing long-delayed maintenance on its major hydroelectric plants.

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  • Air-e’s financial crisis persists

    A year after Colombia’s government assumed control of electricity distributor Air-e, the company’s financial health remains deeply troubled. The intervention, requested by its private owners in 2024, aimed to stabilize the firm’s growing debts and chronic collection problems.

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  • Thermogenerators warn of blackouts

    The President of Colombia’s National Association of Energy Generating Companies (Andeg), Alejandro Castañeda, raised alarms over a potential electricity shortage if the 2026 reliability charge auction fails. The auction, scheduled for March 24, 2026, seeks to secure firm energy for the 2029–2030 period.

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  • Lighter than air?

    We have published 5 articles on green hydrogen since the first of August. One would almost think it was a hot topic. Maybe in Colombia. Not in the rest of the world, it seems. Could we be throwing a party where nobody comes?

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  • Petro backs transition

    At the first Ecopetrol–USO Forum on Oil, Gas, and Energy Transition, Luciano Sanín, Chief of Staff at Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinEnergia), outlined the government’s main strategies to transform the national energy mix.

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  • Barranquilla eyes control

    As Colombia’s Energy Minister (MinEnergia) Edwin Palma faces investigations over alleged irregularities during his oversight of power distributor Air-e, local leaders in Barranquilla and Atlántico have floated a bold proposal: taking control of the troubled utility themselves.

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  • Termoyopal goes solar

    Termoyopal, a 200 MW natural gas-fired power plant in Casanare, is diversifying its portfolio with a US$250M investment plan in renewable energy.

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  • Historic payment deal

    Energy distributor Afinia, a subsidiary of Grupo EPM, reached a landmark agreement with the municipal government of Ariguaní, Magdalena, to settle an outstanding debt of CoP$11.7B, the largest official-sector payment arrangement in Colombia’s Caribbean region.

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  • Tax incentives surge

    Colombia’s Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME) reported a significant increase in applications for tax incentives supporting renewable energy projects, underscoring the growing role of fiscal tools in advancing the government’s energy transition agenda.

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  • MinEnergia faces scrutiny

    Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office requested the Supreme Court open an investigation into Energy and Mines Minister (MinEnergia) Edwin Palma over alleged cost overruns in contracts signed during his tenure as government-appointed overseer of power distributor Air-e.

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  • Bioenergy innovation hub

    In Valle del Cauca, innovation and creativity are taking the shape of concrete solutions for Colombia’s energy transition.

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  • Celsia expands Peru

    Celsia, the energy subsidiary of Grupo Argos, announced a major renewable energy push in Peru with a planned investment of US$1.2B. The strategy rests on two pillars: building a portfolio of renewable generation projects and launching a new renewable platform, Celaris Energy, aimed at serving the country’s corporate energy market.

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  • Colombia–Panama power interconnection

    Colombia and Panama took another step toward regional energy integration as Colombia’s Energy and Gas Regulatory Commission (CREG) met with Panama’s National Authority of Public Services (ASEP) to advance regulatory harmonization for a planned cross-border electricity link.

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  • Colombia solar program

    Colombia issued Decree 0972 of September 8, 2025, creating “Colombia Solar,” a national program to promote rooftop and small-scale solar self-generation for low-income households (strata 1–3) in both the National Interconnected System (SIN) and Non-Interconnected Zones (ZNI).

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  • GEB private placement

    Grupo Energía Bogotá (GEB) executed its first U.S. Rule 4(a)(2) private placement through its Central American subsidiary, Transportadora de Energía de Centroamérica (Trecsa), raising US$110M on a 10-year term on September 9, 2025.

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  • Hydro reliability boost

    Enel completed modernization and major maintenance in August 2025 at the Paraíso and La Guaca hydropower plants in El Colegio, Cundinamarca, assets in the Bogotá River with a combined 600 MW that supply roughly 3% of Colombia’s annual electricity demand and play a stabilizing role for the eastern region, including Bogotá.

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  • Paipa geothermal potential

    Geophysical surveys in Paipa, Boyacá, point to a promising geothermal resource that could meaningfully support Colombia’s energy transition, according to the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH).

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  • Energy subsidy gap

    Colombia’s leading energy and gas trade associations warn that the country faces a CoP$8.9T subsidy funding shortfall across 2025–2026, risking pressure on household bills and company balance sheets if not addressed.

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  • Afinia arbitration revived

    Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) confirmed it is facing an arbitration claim brought by Electrificadora del Caribe S.A. in liquidation over the March 30, 2020 share purchase agreement for Caribemar de la Costa (Afinia).

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  • Transformer markups questioned

    Colombian news site CAMBIO alleges that Air-e, the state-intervened electricity distributor for the Caribbean coast, paid artificially steep markups for essential equipment, most notably power transformers, under an outsourced purchasing scheme created while Edwin Palma served as government-appointed interventor (October 2024–March 2025).

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  • Caribbean energy stabilization

    Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinEnergia) announced a package of immediate actions and a standing working group to address the power crisis affecting the Caribbean region, with particular focus on the financial and operational stress at distribution company Air-e.

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  • Enel powers RegioTram

    Enel Colombia has inaugurated the Tren de Occidente Electrical Substation in Facatativá, a project with an investment of nearly CoP$75B.

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  • Permanent energy committee

    Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinEnergia) announced the creation of a permanent working committee to confront the Caribbean region’s electricity crisis.

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  • An historical look at Colombian electricity prices

    The Petro government wants to control electricity prices and most Colombians probably think these are too high, especially costeños who have higher than average consumption. We contribute some graphs to the discussion.

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  • Solar licensing decree

    At the opening of the 7th Congress on Finance for Equity, Sustainability, and Transformation organized by Asobancaria, Colombia’s acting Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development (MinAmbiente), Irene Vélez Torres, announced a forthcoming decree that will streamline the licensing of solar energy projects in the country.

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  • Solar hybrid milestone

    SunCompany has announced plans to build Colombia’s largest hybrid solar project in Inírida, a remote, non-interconnected area of the country.

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  • Hydrogen hubs advance

    Colombia and Germany have strengthened their strategic alliance to position Colombia as a regional leader in the renewable hydrogen transition.

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  • Government decrees tariff stability

    The Colombian government announced a major step to address long-standing concerns over electricity costs in the Caribbean coast.

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  • Blackout risk

    Colombia could face a serious risk of energy rationing if the upcoming 2026 reliability charge auction fails to attract enough investment, warned Alejandro Castañeda, President of the National Association of Power Generating Companies (Andeg).

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  • Innovative energy communities

    The Colombian government, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinEnergia), Ecopetrol’s (NYSE: EC) Econova Innovation Network, and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, opened the country’s first call for the creation of Innovative Energy Communities.

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  • CCE on Air-e’s future

    The Colombian Energy Chamber (CCE) urged the national government to provide a clear plan to address the challenges faced by electricity distributor Air-e, whose prolonged financial and operational difficulties have become a pressing concern for the country’s energy sector.

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  • ISA eyes ENARSA privatization

    Interconexión Eléctrica S.A. (ISA), a subsidiary of Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC), is evaluating a potential move into Argentina by acquiring part of Energía Argentina S.A. (ENARSA), the state-owned firm that President Javier Milei has placed on the privatization block.

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  • Colombia–Panama power link

    The long-awaited electrical interconnection between Colombia and Panama, a US$800M mega-project, is set to be completed and operating within three years, according to Jorge Andrés Carrillo, president of Interconexión Eléctrica S.A. (ISA).

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  • Acolgén calls for stable and fair rules

    The Colombian Association of Electric Power Generators (Acolgén) called on the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MinEnergia) to review recent regulatory measures that, according to the industry, are discouraging investment in the country’s electricity sector.

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  • Carrillo comments

    When Jorge Andrés Carrillo took over as president of Interconexión Eléctrica S.A. (ISA) a year ago, he knew he was stepping into one of the most decisive moments of his professional career.

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  • Caribbean embraces self-generation

    In Colombia’s Caribbean region, 1,686 users are now producing their own energy, and requests for self-generation projects surged by 60% in 2025, according to Air-e Intervened.

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  • Offshore wind boost

    At the 2nd Offshore Caribbean Forum: Energy and Progress, Orlando Velandia, president of Colombia’s National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH), outlined the vast potential of the Caribbean region to become a driver of renewable energy.

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  • Colombia plans auction

    The Energy and Gas Regulation Commission (CREG) has set in motion a new reliability charge expansion auction to guarantee Colombia’s energy supply between December 1, 2029, and November 30, 2030.

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  • MinEnergia targets Air-e

    Colombia’s Minister of Mines and Energy (MinEnergia), Edwin Palma Egea, delivered a strong message about the future of Air-e, the company currently responsible for providing electricity in Atlántico, Magdalena, and La Guajira.

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  • Celsia cuts blackouts

    Celsia, part of Grupo Argos and one of Colombia’s most important energy players, reported a significant improvement in service reliability in Tolima since its entry into the department in 2019.

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  • Tax reform and energy transition

    Colombia’s Ministry of Finance (MinHacienda) submitted its latest tax reform to Congress, a bill that includes two key chapters aimed at strengthening the country’s energy transition and improving electricity efficiency.

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  • Solenium expands solar

    Solenium, a renewable energy company, announced a US$15M investment to build 15 mini solar farms across Colombia, marking a significant step in advancing the country’s clean energy transition.

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  • Enel boosts communities

    Enel Colombia announced it has made transfers worth more than CoP$123B (approx. US$30M) to 79 municipalities across the departments of Cundinamarca, Huila, Cesar, Cauca, and Atlántico, as well as to four environmental authorities, including three regional autonomous corporations and Parques Nacionales Naturales – Chingaza.

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  • Missing Solar Capacity?

    MinEnergia Edwin Palma and President Gustavo Petro like to tell us that there’s lots of new solar generation capacity coming online. But we can’t see it in XM’s databases and we even think about 500MWp went missing in March of this year. We are not saying the new capacity doesn’t exist: it just doesn’t appear in the official records.

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  • Wind license launched

    Colombia’s government is preparing a new decree to create a special licensing procedure for wind energy projects, aiming to streamline approvals and boost renewable investment while maintaining strong environmental and social safeguards.

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  • Energy security risks

    For the first time in three decades, Colombia faces negative balances between electricity supply and demand, raising concerns about the country’s energy security.

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  • Surtigas’ solar project

    Promigas, through its subsidiary Surtigas, entered into a strategic alliance with Petromil to launch a new 1.4 MWp solar project on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, marking another step forward in the country’s energy transition.

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  • Rare earths

    Colombia’s energy transition is moving forward, but in the wrong direction. That is the warning raised by Amat Zulugua, Director of the Caribbean Energy Transition Observatory, who argued that the country is dangerously behind in its planning and strategy for diversifying its energy matrix.

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  • MinEnergia enables auto generation

    Colombia has introduced new rules to regulate how companies and individuals generate their own electricity and connect it to the national grid.

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  • Fitch warning

    International ratings agency Fitch Ratings warned that the Colombian government’s proposed reforms to the Reliability Charge, a mechanism designed to guarantee reliable electricity supply, could heighten the risk of future power shortages.

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  • Cundinamarca solar breakthrough

    Cundinamarca is set to become the epicenter of Colombia’s energy transition with the launch of Puerta de Oro, the country’s largest solar park, slated to begin operations in 2026.

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  • Schools drive sustainability

    In Atlántico, students are being placed at the heart of energy transformation through a new alliance between Air-e and the Colegio Metropolitano de Soledad 2000.

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  • Colombia launches reliability auction

    Colombia’s energy regulator (Creg) officially launched a new reliability charge auction to guarantee electricity supply between 2029 and 2030.

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  • Colombia hits 3GW

    Colombia has marked a major milestone in its energy transition, surpassing 3 gigawatts (GW) of installed clean energy capacity, now accounting for more than 10% of the country’s electricity matrix.

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  • Colombia faces costliest power

    Colombia has officially earned the unwelcome title of the country with the most expensive electricity in Latin America, according to a study unveiled at the Energy Master Summit in Bogotá.

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  • Energy hubris

    In a sharply worded opinion piece, Aquiles Mercado, Vice President of Finance and Administration, warned that Colombia may be falling into what he calls “Energy hubris”, an arrogance that could cost the country its energy sovereignty.

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