Due to the country's high energy demand, Ecuador is emerging as a strategic region for major national and international players to invest in renewable energy projects. In this context, the Ecuadorian Green Energy Society (SEEV) seeks to obtain legal status this year and consolidate its position as a key player in disseminating and promoting these practices in the country. In conversations with Energía Estratégica , Johanna Sánchez , president of the organization, shares her perspective on the region's electricity situation and outlines proposals for the sector's advancement in the South American country. "Due to the El Niño phenomenon, we experienced quite prolonged power outages.
“If the government promotes policies to develop renewable energy, it would be much more attractive for investors to undertake these projects,” she explains. In this regard, she emphasizes the need for greater stability in the regulatory and political framework to provide legal certainty for investors and promote an environment conducive to project development. According to the expert, a fundamental measure is to strengthen the transmission infrastructure to efficiently integrate renewable energy into the national electricity grid. “Many companies generate their own electricity and cannot connect it to the National Electric System due to a lack of infrastructure.
Solutions to these limitations should continue to be sought, and investment in electricity grids is needed to meet energy demand. Without transmission, there is no transition , he asserts. He also proposes reducing import taxes on equipment for developing unconventional technologies to support local production of these technologies on an industrial scale. "It would also be beneficial to provide incentives to producers of clean energy, biofuels, green hydrogen, and their derivatives to boost activity."
In turn, estimating a cost at which the government could purchase hydrogen could make it more competitive , she adds. She also suggests creating programs for harnessing biomass to produce energy in different economic sectors. Furthermore, the expert suggests further promoting distributed generation not only in large cities and the Galápagos Islands , but also in other regions with energy deficits. In short, Sánchez explains that SEEV's main objective is to identify these necessary measures to promote renewable energy and bring them to the political sphere for regulation. Ecuador needs to develop these policies collectively to achieve its sustainability goals.
“We want to collaborate with academia and the private and public sectors to diversify our energy mix and grow as a country,” he concludes. It is worth noting that since December 2023, the Ecuadorian Green Energy Society has been working to obtain legal status.
At this time, they are awaiting feedback from the Ministry of Environment to finalize the partnership and hope to achieve this this year.