The Caribbean will not be able to consolidate itself as an energy hub by 2030 if it maintains regulatory frameworks designed solely to facilitate the entry of renewables. This was one of the main points made by Ángel Alegría , Commercial Director of Schletter , during FES Caribe, where he argued that the region needs to " move from energy transition regulations to integration regulations," where solar and storage operate as the structural support for electrical security.
The definition comes at a time when this evolution is already beginning to be reflected in different markets in the region. The Dominican Republic moved forward with Resolution SIE-092-2025-LCE , which established technical and regulatory conditions for renewable projects with BESS, while its latest tender awarded 325 MW under a scheme that incorporated batteries and the provision of auxiliary services.
However, for Schletter the challenge is not just about enabling battery systems, but about designing rules that take into account the new role that these assets will begin to play within the system.
Relive Day 1 of FES Caribe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfB3DaSHJSM
“The moment we make them the center of the energy matrix, they automatically become a pillar of energy security,” he said.
This reasoning explains why the executive insisted on raising construction standards as well. In markets where renewables and storage will assume critical functions, any failure ceases to be a minor operational problem and becomes a systemic risk.
This message is echoed throughout the rest of the region. In Guatemala , the PEG-5 tender awarded 1258 MW , of which 671 MW corresponded to solar projects with BESS systems, consolidating one of the clearest signs of the new utility-scale paradigm in Central America.
In Panama , although regulatory development is still at an intermediate stage compared to the Dominican Republic, the country has already formally incorporated Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) into its operating regulations, enabled batteries as an eligible technology within its planning, and projects a specific auction of 50 MW BESS for 2028 .
In Honduras , the 1500 MW tender, although postponed until 2027, is moving towards a redesign with higher technical requirements and a focus on operational reliability.
Collectively, these markets already mobilize 2546 MW in processes where storage is beginning to be structurally integrated into the regional electrical design.
But Alegría warns that incorporating batteries is not enough if the specificities of the Caribbean are not understood.
“We don’t have the option of buying energy from our neighbors,” he explained.
Relive Day 1 of FES Caribe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfB3DaSHJSM
The insular nature of many of these electrical systems means that their dependence on local assets is much higher than in other interconnected markets. This, coupled with their historical reliance on imported fuels, explains why renewables appear to be a natural solution, although it also necessitates raising the standard of resilience.
"We must focus on ensuring that these energy sources are fully resilient in order to guarantee the energy security of the Caribbean," he warned.
That concept permeates Schletter's entire vision. For the executive, in the Caribbean the focus is no longer simply on deploying solar panels.
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“Here we are not just installing modules; we are protecting assets,” he emphasized.
This assertion gains even more weight with the evolution of hybrid projects. The inclusion of storage significantly increased the CAPEX of developments and completely changed the risk equation.
Relive Day 1 of FES Caribe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfB3DaSHJSM
“Now assets are increasingly expensive, requiring greater investment; CAPEX skyrockets with the inclusion of batteries,” he stated.
This scenario even redefines the role of components that are traditionally less visible within a plant.
“If we suffer damage to the structures, we can suffer damage to the panels and damage to the batteries,” he explained.
The analysis also connects with another of the Caribbean's distinctive factors: exposure to hurricanes, highly corrosive environments, and conditions that force us to think about infrastructure from much more demanding parameters.
Meanwhile, the regional regulatory debate still faces challenges. Although markets like the Dominican Republic have made progress in formally incorporating batteries, much of the sector is still calling for clearer frameworks to monetize services such as energy arbitrage, peak shaving, and black start—a key point for consolidating the bankability of new assets.
Relive Day 1 of FES Caribe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfB3DaSHJSM
But for Schletter, the leap towards 2030 will not be solely regulatory or constructive.
Alegría envisioned an operational transformation driven by artificial intelligence, where plants would abandon the static scheme with which they historically operated.
“This will allow us, instead of having static plants, to move to a model where decisions are made according to measurements,” he said.
The proposal implies that trackers, storage, and control systems react dynamically according to the weather, the plant's operational history, and the instantaneous state of the network.
“It will allow us to tell the tracker what tilt it should be at both to produce more and to protect the assets; the battery when to store and when to release,” he explained.
In other words, Schletter argues that the Caribbean not only needs more renewables, but also an infrastructure capable of responding in real time to increasingly demanding electrical systems.
And with more than 2546 MW in markets where storage has already begun to gain prominence, the region seems to have started down that path.
Relive Day 1 of FES Caribe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfB3DaSHJSM