Colombia ended June 2026 with 1,474.48 MW of solar power in initial testing , distributed among 110 projects that are already connected to the National Interconnected System (SIN) and provide energy while fulfilling the necessary protocols for their commissioning, according to official data published by XM, the country's energy market operator.
The volume puts one of the country's main reserves of new renewable capacity under scrutiny. The solar power going through this stage far exceeds the 61.73 MW that actually entered commercial operation during the second quarter , when 31 projects, all photovoltaic, were added.
In total, XM reports 1,624.8 MW of generation capacity in initial testing across 118 projects . In addition to the 1,474.48 MW of solar power, the package includes 82.6 MW of wind, 33.3 MW of hydroelectric, and 34.4 MW of thermal power.
The map of the pilot projects reveals a considerably larger territorial footprint. The 118 developments are distributed from the Caribbean to the southwest and along much of the Andean region, with additional presence in the eastern part of the country. The highest visual density is concentrated in the northern and west-central areas.
This grid also has a strong photovoltaic component: 110 of the 118 projects being tested are solar, representing 1,474.48 MW . These are complemented by three wind farms, two hydroelectric plants, and three thermal power projects, totaling 1,624.8 MW already connected to the National Interconnected System (SIN) and undergoing the protocols prior to commercial operation.
Thus, more than 90% of the capacity currently being tested corresponds to solar technology , a proportion that demonstrates the weight that photovoltaics could acquire in the next stage of expansion of the Colombian matrix once these developments complete their technical process and reach commercial operation.
The projects under this category are not simply announced developments. XM specifies that they are “connected to the National Interconnected System (SIN) to carry out the tests required for their commissioning,” under current regulations and technical protocols.
From pipeline to deal: the difference the market is watching
The magnitude of this block is even more striking when compared to the recent pace of new additions. During the entire first half of 2026, 320.63 MW were added, corresponding to 86 new solar plants , while in the second quarter alone, 61.73 MW were commissioned across 31 facilities.
Of these recent additions, 28 projects were distributed generation, one was self-generation, and two were non-centrally dispatched solar plants . Consequently, the recent commercial expansion was characterized by a high number of smaller-scale installations.
XM highlights that “all of the projects submitted in the second quarter of 2026 are solar technology” , reinforcing a trend that is also observed, but on a significantly larger scale, among assets that are still undergoing testing.
The solar expansion that reached commercial operation during the second quarter also shows a broad geographical distribution. The map published by XM places the 31 new projects mainly along the Andean corridor and in the north of the country, although installations also appear in the southwest and towards eastern areas of Colombia.
The distribution is consistent with the profile of the new installations: 28 of the 31 projects are distributed generation , meaning installations of less than 1 MW located near consumption centers. The other three projects consist of one self-generator and two solar plants not centrally dispatched.
The comparison reveals a fact that is hard to ignore: the solar capacity currently being tested is equivalent to almost 24 times the photovoltaic MW that came commercially online during the second quarter .
Continue reading
The eventual transition of these assets to commercial operation would also modify the current scale of the technology. As of the end of June, the National Interconnected System had a total net effective capacity of 21,340 MW, and solar power represented 8.97% .
In this scenario, monitoring testing becomes relevant for developers, investors, marketers, and large consumers. The question is no longer solely about how many projects Colombia attracts, but rather about the speed at which connected assets reach the final stage of commercial operation.
The next solar wave is also beginning to take shape
The movement doesn't end with the projects currently undergoing testing. Colombia has just awarded another 995 MW of solar power and approximately 100 MW of battery storage through its long-term auction , which is beginning to define the next generation of investments.
Specifically, four companies were awarded the contract as sellers: Bosques Solares de los Llanos 8, Empresas Públicas de Medellín, Celsia and Enel Colombia, with six projects that will support a contracted volume of 4,564 MWh-day.
The numbers should not be added together as if they represented available capacity at the same moment. However, they do reflect the continuity of the Colombian solar pipeline through different stages of development, from contracting and construction to grid connection, testing, and subsequent commercial launch.
This scenario also coincides with a significant change in the country's energy management . María Nohemí Arboleda, until then general manager of XM, was chosen to head the Ministry of Mines and Energy, with an agenda focused on system reliability, unblocking renewable energy projects, and energy storage.
The arrival of Arboleda has a particularity for the sector: the new ministerial leadership comes precisely from the operator in charge of coordinating the system and verifying the technical compliance associated with the entry of generation and transmission projects .
Joining that team is Armando Cuello, from the management of the Western Energy Company , who was appointed vice minister and comes with experience in the electricity distribution and marketing segments.
This combination coincides with a time when the sector's discussion is increasingly focused on implementation. Colombia has contracted projects, advanced renewable developments, and more than 1.6 GW of various technologies currently undergoing testing , but the decisive step will be converting that volume into commercially available capacity.
Network infrastructure will be another piece of that journey. During the second quarter of 2026, two transmission projects came online : one aimed at reinforcing the transport networks of the Regional Transmission System and another related to load distribution within the same system.
Celsia declared the commercial operation of the first stage of Arreboles 115 kV , which includes the Escobal-Arreboles double line and the Arreboles 115 kV GIS substation. Meanwhile, CaribeMar commissioned the Nueva Guatapurí Substation , with a 60 MVA transformer.
For XM, the expansion of the networks allows for increased reliability and "enables the entry of new generation and load projects," a factor that gains importance as the volume of renewable energy pending integration increases.
For now, the 1,474.48 MW of solar power being tested appears as one of the figures to watch closely in Colombia during the coming months.
If a substantial portion of these projects manages to complete this process, the leap could be far more significant than that observed during the second quarter, when 31 projects added a mere 61.73 MW. This will be one of the main tests for the Colombian market: transforming an increasingly mature solar portfolio into megawatts actually available for the National Interconnected System (SIN).
The execution of awarded contracts, the development of storage, competition in upcoming calls for tenders, and the decisions of the new administration will be part of the debate at Future Energy Summit Colombia , which will take place on October 1 in Bogotá .
The meeting will bring together public and private actors to address a central issue for the electricity system: Colombia has already contracted 995 MW of solar power and 100 MW of battery storage, but the final outcome will depend on that capacity securing financing, connection, and becoming operational.