Colombia's Ministry of Mines and Energy has mandated that all grid operators in the country report information on projects that have requested transmission capacity and connection to the electrical system . This requirement covers generation facilities, cogeneration plants, small- and large-scale self-generation projects, distributed generation, and energy communities.
The measure aims to build a national inventory of the power capacity that could be added before or during the 2026-2027 El Niño event , in a scenario of increased pressure on hydroelectric generation, reservoirs, and the reliability of the National Interconnected System. Operators must submit the information within five business days following the publication of Circular 40032, dated July 27, 2026 .
The government aims to determine not only the installed capacity of each project, but also the requested connection point, circuit, substation, voltage level, and the status of each application . The energy ministry believes this information will allow them to identify regulatory, administrative, and technical delays that can be addressed.
“ Having this information will allow us to identify the points where these procedures are experiencing delays ,” states the document signed by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma. Among the obstacles to be analyzed are the response times for connection studies, the reasons for rejection, and the availability of capacity in the circuits.
The order encompasses all applications that are currently being processed, approved but awaiting energization, energized, or rejected within the last 12 months . In this way, the Ministry seeks to obtain a comprehensive overview of the distributed pipeline managed by the companies responsible for the regional networks.
Five days to report capacity, location and status of the projects
Each operator must submit an Excel file with the departmental and municipal location of the assets , their technological classification, the requested installed capacity in megawatts, and the registration date. They must also specify whether the facility supplies surplus energy to the grid and whether it has storage capacity.
When a battery system or other storage technology exists, the circular requests that its capacity be reported “ if possible .” This information becomes relevant during periods of reduced water availability, due to the possibility of displacing energy, managing surpluses, and providing operational flexibility.
The report must also identify the substation, circuit, and voltage level to which each project intends to connect. Furthermore, it must specify whether the application is under review, approved, pending energization, energized, or rejected, along with the estimated commissioning date and the validity period of the corresponding approval.
The application is based, among other regulations, on Law 143 of 1994, Law 1715 of 2014, Law 2099 of 2021 and CREG Resolution 174 of 2021. This last instrument regulates procedures, deadlines and grounds for rejection for connections of small-scale self-generators and distributed generators.
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According to the circular, operators are obligated to manage the migration of historical information registered in the single window system and to provide the data required by the authority. The Ministry emphasizes that service providers must process requests related to non-conventional energy sources and self-generation schemes in a timely manner.
El Niño accelerates the search for available power
The urgency of this survey stems from the fact that these projects typically have shorter construction and connection cycles than large-scale power plants. Therefore, some of the capacity currently under review could be incorporated within the critical window anticipated for the 2026-2027 El Niño event.
“ Some of the power currently being processed by the Network Operators may eventually be incorporated into the system ,” the Ministry points out. This addition would reduce net demand on the National Interconnected System and help conserve reservoir levels during the months of lower water flow.
The climate context reinforces the importance of the decision. The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies reported that El Niño conditions were already present in the ocean and atmosphere, with a greater than 95% probability of strengthening during the second half of 2026 and persisting until the first quarter of 2027. The agency also estimated a 63% probability that it would reach “very strong” intensity between November 2026 and January 2027 .
This scenario could increase pressure on Latin American systems with high hydroelectric reliance. An article published by Energía Estratégica warns that the phenomenon could reduce the availability of hydroelectric generation, narrow reserve margins, raise operating costs, and increase the need for thermal backup during the second half of 2026 and the first months of 2027.
In Colombia, this combination is particularly sensitive due to growing consumption and accumulated delays from various expansion projects. XM warned of potential energy and power deficits during the summer of 2026-2027, associated with lower water inflows, higher demand, and delays in the commissioning of new capacity. During June, consumption is estimated to have grown 6.49% year-on-year , reaching peaks of 261.86 GWh per day and 12,475 MW of power.
Given this scenario, the incorporation of distributed generation and self-generation can affect two variables. On the one hand, it reduces the energy drawn from the grid by consumers who produce locally . On the other, it allows for the addition of surplus energy to circuits where there is the technical capacity to receive it.
The government is seeking to determine how much power can actually be mobilized in the short term and what actions would be necessary to unlock it. The circular proposes “ prioritizing the regulatory, operational, administrative, and institutional coordination actions necessary to accelerate its entry into operation .”
The survey results could provide a previously fragmented picture: how many megawatts of decentralized generation are currently stalled due to studies, insufficient capacity in the grid, rejections, pending paperwork, or energization delays . It will also allow for distinguishing between assets with a realistic chance of being connected in the coming months and those requiring grid upgrades or regulatory adjustments.
“ This response is fundamental to the sector’s preventative measures against El Niño ,” the official statement concludes. With a deadline of just five business days, the government is thus transforming the information on connections into a key input for its reliability strategy and for accelerating distributed electricity capacity before the most demanding period of 2026-2027.