John McCarthy
CARTAGENA (Reuters) — The Colombian government is preparing an electricity generation auction amid warnings of possible future power shortages in the country, Mines and Energy Minister Edwin Palma said on Wednesday.
Energy sector associations have warned the country is at risk of a possible blackout in the medium-term due to stalled environmental licensing and authorizations delaying wind and solar energy projects.
“We hope to receive the largest amount of energy, hopefully clean, renewable … which will allow us to have guaranteed energy so that this country does not suffer what neighboring countries have suffered,” Palma said during the Colombia Genera conference in the Caribbean city of Cartagena.
Palma said the government is considering a plan to incorporate 6 gigawatts of clean energy into the South American country’s electricity grid during President Gustavo Petro’s term, which ends in August 2026.
The official declined to offer further details, which will be released later this week.
By NELSON BOCANEGRA/Reuters
Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra Writing by Brendan O’Boyle
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles
